Tshibvuvhelo tsha Malume makes airwaves

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A resident of Maebane village in the Kutama area, Sollie Musapha, has just recorded a single, much to the delight of his fans and villagers.

The single is entitled Tshibvuvhelo tsha Malume. Tshibvuvhelo or mvuvhelo, depending on the Tshivenda dialect in use in a particular area, is a traditional bowl. “I always knew I could sing, even before I went to church where I finally learned the basics of music,” he said.

In the singer's words, Tshibvuvhelo tsha Malume is kind of a deep-house piece with sparse lyrics that speak about an uncle who makes things happen. “The uncle talks to the ancestors, using tshibvuvhelo to make sure that everyone in the family is happy,” he said. “The song embraces mostly our African culture and religion.”

The song is on high rotation on Phalaphala FM and it is a favourite on some radio stations in Gauteng, such as Alex FM. “It wasn't a big surprise when my first single house banger, Tshibvuvhelo tsha Malume, where I feature TendyMcfuz, made it!” he said. “It is doing so well.”

This artist believes that education is the key to success. To prove his assertion, he studied biochemistry at the University of Venda, and is currently working for the University of Johannesburg as a research project facilitator. “I didn't finish my bachelor of science with Univen, and I hope to get back to school soon,” he said.

He said he was in the music industry to make Venda people proud. He gets inspiration from his mother, Hildah Musapha, who is one hardworking lady. “She is always there for me,” he said. “I also would like to thank everyone who supports my music. It's just a matter of time. Well-known artists like Mafikizolo and Brothers of Peace release Venda songs without much depth to the language. So it's our responsibility as Venda artists to make Tshivenda enjoyable and easy to sing.”

Sollie can be reached on 076 4823 575 or [email protected].

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.