Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]
IN 2021, the local arts sector witnessed a revolutionary performance by the Charleston Trust Primary School Choir, which captivated the hearts of many with their debut song, Colour my dreams.
While the children were the stars of the show, the director behind the scenes, Trevor Mawaka, remained an unsung hero.
Under Mawaka’s guidance, the choir has garnered regional and local acclaim, as evidenced by their twin award nominations at the Bulawayo Arts Awards (BAA) for Best Newcomer and South Africa’s AfriCAN Children of the Year Awards (ACOTYA) for Arts and Culture.
Mawaka’s passion for music began at a young age, where he composed and sang in church. Today, he is a music and Visual and Performing Arts teacher at Charleston Trust Primary School, a prolific blogger and writer on music, and a proficient musician in his own right, playing the mbira, marimba, guitar, and keyboard.
In a recent interview with Saturday Leisure, Mawaka shared his musical journey and his secret formula for nurturing young talent.
“The choir has given me the opportunity to creatively collaborate with young people. They have great ideas, especially if you give them room to express it. It’s great knowing you are in fact creating the next generation of musicians,” he said.
Mawaka is a true embodiment of an artistic family. His son, KidPoet (actual name Zoelife Trevor Mawaka), is a poetry prospect, while his daughter Maya is one of the lead singers in the Charleston Trust Primary School Choir and is working on her first solo project, set to be released later this year.
His wife, Angeline Mabheka, is an accountant and tourism officer, proving that creativity and art run deep in the Mawaka household.
Despite the choir’s success, Mawaka remains committed to creating more music with his group, MbiraSoul, a trio he formed with fellow music teachers Delight Mukamuri and Jubilant Hlabangana.
The group has been in existence for six months, and they recently released their debut single, Handinete.
Mawaka said he would be focusing all his energy on recording more content for the trio and releasing visuals for Handinete.
In a world that often undervalues the arts, Trevor Mawaka is a shining example of the immense potential that lies within nurturing young talent. His commitment to music and the next generation of musicians is nothing short of inspiring.
@MbuleloMpofu
Online Reporter