adminnot sure which of these three influenced or inspired Albert Nyathi, but I remember after he had introduced himself to me as a dub poet, I offered him my band, “The Frontline Kids”, to give him a more powerful sound so that his recitals could be in line with those of the above dub poets.
We only did one show together at Parirenyatwa Hospital before he formed his own group.
I first met Albert Nyathi in 1989 during his studies at the University of Zimbabwe when he was struggling to form a band of dub poets.
Together with Cynthia and Titus, they called themselves Alcyti, a name that came from the first two letters of each member’s first name.
That combination did not last long, but Albert was determine to make it happen.
Albert Nyathi was born to make an impact. He hails from Kafusi, a village in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, where he was born on November 15, 1962.
His love of poetry started at primary school where he used to perform traditional praise poetry.
He was later inspired by the liberation war in Zimbabwe and started to write plays and poems during his secondary school days.
At university in the late 1980s he was so influential within the students’ representative body, that he was invited to speak at each student rally or meeting.
Albert is known as “the voice of the invisible” — the man who speaks the silent words of those without a voice. His work is thought-provoking, controversial and humourous and his stage show is charismatic and energetic.
As the Financial Gazette once said: “He can make an audience howl with laughter and he is also capable of bringing the whole nation to tears.”
When Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Joshua Nkomo, passed on in 1999, Albert was invited to lead the funeral procession.
He literally brought tears to the entire nation.
Together with his band Imbongi, and sometimes solo, he has conducted countless educational workshops in schools, colleges and universities both at home and abroad.
In 2005, he was invited by Chelsea Football Club in collaboration with Kick It Out Magazine, Westminster Library and Archive as well as the Football Association to conduct workshops in London, on poetry against racism in football.
He worked with children of various ethnic backgrounds. When Andy Cole, the then Manchester United star, visited Zimbabwe in the mid-90s on a charity business,
Albert was invited to artistically welcome him.
When Nelson Mandela came to Zimbabwe to officially open Nelson Mandela Avenue in May 1996, Albert was described by The Herald as having presented “a moving performance”.
He has won several awards. His hit single, “Senzeni Na?”, which was composed following the assassination of Chris Hani in South Africa moved the entire nation in Zimbabwe and made a big impact in South Africa.
He has travelled far and wide, performing with his band, Imbongi. Among countries that he has toured are South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, Libya,
Algeria, Hawaii, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Venezuela, Italy, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England. He has performed as a headline artiste at numerous festivals around the world.
He has also performed in some of the world’s biggest festivals, notably Glastonbury, WOMAD England, WOMAD Sicily, SFINX, Salisbury Festival, Larmetree, Poetry International in Rotterdam, Poetry Africa in Durban, Ways with Words, Shambala, Hifa, Mthwakazi, Intwasa and te London National Theatre among many others. He is a man of many achievements.
In 1995, he won the Zimbabwe National Poetry Award. Albert, with Imbongi, an 11-piece band, was chosen by the United Nations to represent African music at the youth congress in Hawaii in 1999.
He was also appointed the British Council International Climate Icon in 2011.
Albert gave up his rapidly advancing career in Government service as a very well-informed senior member of the Zimbabwe’s National Arts Council to concentrate on performance and the development of youth training programmes in the arts in Harare’s townships. Albert says that he started fusing his written poetry with music so as to blow life into them, to blow life into a dead word.
In 1989, while at university during the time he was undertaking a Bachelor of Arts degree programme, Albert was invited to play the leading role of Nelson Mandela in a play called “The Spirit of No Surrender” produced by the community theatre company Zambuko/Izibuko and the ANC as a co-production about a family’s struggle in the townships through the period of Mandela’s incarceration. Nyathi’s fourth CD, entitled “Welcome to Zimbabwe” (Land of Contradiction), the first album released internationally, takes off with “I will not speak”, where he adapts Chenjerai Hove’s poetry to song.
Imbongi were in Britain for the first time in 2000, and were an enormous hit at Glastonbury and WOMAD festivals.
At the Africa Centre in London in 2001 they delighted the audience with their highly energetic yet remarkably polished show with Albert’s larger-than-life presence.
Albert has published his poetry in a number of publications including “The Third Dimension”, published in Denmark with Danish authors, and others including online magazines like Poetry International.
His first poetry collection, “Echoes from Zimbabwe”, was published in 2010 by the Lion Press.
He produced a number of CDs and DVDs. to go with his published poetry. His latest offering is “My Daughter”, again published by Lion Press and sponsored by TN Bank.
I have read the colourful “My Daughter” and in my opinion, it is a marvel to read. As Francis Bacon said long ago, “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some to be chewed and digested.” I suggest you do everything once you get hold of “My Daughter”, as it is both mesmerising and captivating.
Below is a snippet of Albert’s famous poem “My Daughter”:
“When I say be home before dark every day I am trying to protect you from the slimy snail, moving at snail’s pace with every intention written on his face. His visible eyes burning with desire — Patience, his reliable weapon.
“From the flimsy and flippant butterfly, flirting and fluttering everywhere displaying its attractive colours to all who care to watch its movements, flattering as it flies along
“Beware, the python preys on its victim by changing colours, Oh those mesmerising colours! Remember, they are meant to lure you into a tight embrace. Before you know it your heart is stopped by suffocation.
“They all want to win your heart. Dear daughter, take heed, darkness has no eyes, Be on your guard always! Remember the old adage: All that glitters is not gold.”
I am not sure which one of his daughters Albert was trying to protect here as he has three children with his wife, Caroline.
When eight-year-old Tapiwa Manuhwa from Moffat School, Harare, finished reading her complimentary copy of the book, she exclaimed: “This man is not talking about us city girls. His daughter is from the rural areas because he is talking about hyenas, leopards and pythons which are only found kumusha!”
I used to tease Albert by saying that “the only thing that distinguishes you from the ordinary talker is the wearing of animal skins. Anybody can talk. So what kind of artiste are you?”
- Fred Zindi is a professor at the University of Zimbabwe. He is also a musician and an author of several books on music. He can be contacted via e-mail on [email protected]
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