Celebrating drummer who has played for many greats

Mkhululi Ncube, Showbiz Reporter
If it was football, the commentators and analysts would have called him a great servant of the beautiful game. However, unlike those born to kick a ball, he was never that gifted with his feet. Instead, his talents are in his hands and for that reason, he dedicated his life to music.

His name may not ring a bell in many people’s ears, but when one goes through the catalogue of the musical bands he has drummed for, among them Solomon Skuza, Andy Brown, Soul Brothers, Dan Tshanda’s Splash and Ndolwane Super Sounds, they are left with no doubt to his claim of being a living legend.

His name is Mbuso Ncube. Known by many names such as Galie, Mr Ceremony and The Senior man, Ncube was born in 1971 in Bulawayo’s Mpopoma suburb. Despite having played for such high-profile names, he remains the proverbial “man behind the scenes” as his career has played out largely in the background.

For years, his tools of the trade have been the two sticks used by drummers.

Contributing to an online music article, Music-Radar, Erik Stams said: “A drummer is the backbone of a band. A mediocre band with a great drummer can sound truly great. The opposite is true as well. A great band with a poor drummer will not sound very good at all”.

Many musicians who sought Galie’s services probably wanted to make their music great. A good drummer is rare but a great one is an endangered species.

Galie lost his father in 1980 at a tender age, a development which forced him to drop out of Lukhanyiso Primary School in Mpopoma at Grade Four. He then ventured into music to try and earn a living for his family.

“I started playing drums at the age of eight for the band called Skara which comprised of family members. However, the band’s attempt to record hit a brick wall as producers told us we were not ripe for recording. Blame game within members ensued which caused the death of the band. This was after years of staging music shows,” said Galie.

It was during his stint with Skara Band that the late great Solomon Skuza, or Jah Solo as he was known when he transitioned from rhumba to reggae, saw a gem in Galie that he could refine in his Fallen Heroes band.

“Skuza came home and requested for my services from my mother as she was adamant that I was too young to be associated with bands and nightclubs. But umdala (Skuza) was very persistent and managed to strike a deal with her.

“The deal was on condition that Skuza would play a father figure on me in the band and personally deliver my pay to my mother. So, during my time with him, I never knew how much I earned as all my earnings were handed over to my mother,” recounted Galie.

The dreadlocked drummer said he only recorded one album with Skuza, Love and Scandals, a 1990 production which was a commercial success.

He said the recording was done under a challenging environment as he was only 19 then.

“When we recorded Love and Scandals, the late producer Tymon Mabaleka put me under pressure as he underrated me because of my age.

My small body frame did not do me any favour as well. This caused fear in me, but I still managed to record and never looked back from then,” said Galie.

The drummer said some members he played with under Skuza who are still alive are Joyce Nkomo, Patrick Ncube and Bigboy Mabhanzi who live in Bulawayo.

In the early 90s, Galie said their family band, Skara Band was to bring his romance with the late Jah Solo to an end in a “blood is thicker than water” war as they claimed that they had “a contract with him” referring to their family ties.

Though they never recorded with Skara, he said the group enjoyed much success as they were very popular in Bulawayo culminating in them sharing a stage with Splash at a show which was attended by the late Vice-President, Dr Joshua Nyongolo Nkomo.

“I can’t recall what the function was, but I think it was Bulawayo City Council celebrations and Umdala Umafukufuku was in attendance.

We shared the stage with Splash and that was the best moment for the group as Splash was very popular in Bulawayo.

“Of all the groups that I played with, I had my best time in music with Skara Band,” he said.

The father of five said the band landed a very lucrative contract with Flamingo Night Club (now Club Royal) and were getting paid very handsomely.

After the demise of the group following their failure to bring stage success to the recording studio, Galie became a nomadic drummer who moved within and outside the border playing for several bands.

“When Skara Band collapsed, half the band went to Harare to join the legendary late Tobias Areketa and the Shazi Band, but we didn’t last long. I then went to South Africa where I met and worked with Andy Brown but only played for them during shows. I didn’t record with both,” he said.

Though his memory fails him on dates and years, Galie said he also played for a Mbaqanga group in Tembisa, South Africa called Abangandayi.

After leaving the group, he said he went to Johannesburg where he stayed with ex-Andy Brown bassist, Jabulani Zondo. It was during his stay there that he joined the Soul Brothers and Dan Tshanda’s Splash although he did not record with them.

“With the mighty Soul Brothers, my role was limited to covering for them when their drummer was not around. It was easy for me to play drums for their music because growing up in Bulawayo, the Soul Brothers and Splash were the bands.

“With Dan Tshanda, I did shows as well. As we were preparing to record with the group called The Snakes which was under Dalom Music Stable, Ndolwane Super Sounds snatched me,” Galie said.

However, Galie was to become popular after playing for the united Ndolwane Super Sounds where he earned his nicknames Galiman, The Senior Man and Mr Ceremony.

But how did he join Ndolwane Super Sounds?
“I was at Soul Brothers’ David Masondo’s studio with Andy Brown’s bassist Jabulani Zondo in Johannesburg. Ndolwane Super Sounds used to book the studio for practice sessions, but they didn’t have a drummer. They requested for my services as a session musician until they signed me in 1997 while I was with Dan Tshanda,” he said.

The Senior Man said he got the three nicknames from Both Martin Sibanda and Charles Ndebele.

“I earned the monikers from the two guys. Galiman was from Charles Ndebele. When he called out Galiman, I knew he was telling me to roll the drums. Mr Ceremony came from my role as a hype man. When we had shows, before the band would come on stage, I’d act like a master of ceremony entertaining the crowds hence the name Mr Ceremony.

“The senior man came as a result of my long service with the band,” he explained.

Galie said the split of Ndolwane Super Sounds into two camps led by Martin Big Boss Sibanda and Charles Mdolomba kaZwane Ndebele was a big blow.

“Their split to us was like children witnessing the divorce of their parents. It was so emotional and If I had power, I could have stopped it.

So many people are still hurt and some ask me what happened but I don’t have the answers as well. My prayer and hope is that the two reunite someday.”

The multi-talented drummer who is a huge fan of Jazz and Reggae genres and can also play the guitar, said he is versatile enough to switch between musical codes.

He said he has played drums for so many artistes who have used his services as a session musician producing albums which could be more than a thousand.

Galie’s skills have seen him assist musicians like Sandra Ndebele, Jeys Marabini, Allen Ndonda, Precious Manyonyoba, Dubia Masters and Chase Skuza among many others.

The drummer who is married to Monalisa Luphahla, said two out of his five children have an interest in music. A girl named Antonette is preparing to record an RnB album while his son Mike is already a popular drummer in South Africa where he is assisting many rhumba bands.

Galie who said he enjoys traditional foods, said his major concern is that despite his huge contribution to the music industry locally and in SA, he feels his efforts have not been recognised.

“I’ve given my life to music but what I’ve done hasn’t been seen. We have awards that only focus on band leaders. That’s okay, but why not have best drummer, best guitarist or longest-serving member?

“What pains me most is that I know that when I die and my history and contribution in music is laid bare, people will realise they had a legend among them. I’ve not been honoured for what I’ve done to develop music,”said Galie.

He said the closest he has come to getting appreciated is when a fan presented him with R7 000 on stage in South Africa for his service to Ndolwane Super Sounds while Rhumba musician, Allen Ndoda last year presented him with a full drum kit before he went to the UK. – @themkhust.