adminNkosilathi Sibanda Urban Beats
I CANNOT sing like Mkhululi Bhebhe. Even if I tried, the best I can do will be to shout out a terrible scream. Singing is not my daily dose. I am not alone in this “disability”. Many have wished to be blessed with melodious voices.When growing up, two grand institutions made a huge impact in our musical life.
The school and the church introduced us to a different kind of music – the choir concept. In the early formative years I took pride to be a choir member.
Of course I had no vocal qualities to fit in but my terrible voice drowned in the volume of fellow singers in the group. I went further to represent the school, albeit in unsuccessful competitions. It took our attentive Grade Five music teacher to chase me out of that school choir. I never set foot close to music lessons ever since.
Ask my school friends. We even tried it at the college choir but failed. Yet Sandra Ndebele made it by just starring at an SDA choir!
Choral singing is best reserved for others not of my kind – the writers.
At church, choir is big business. Show me a priest who can preach the whole sermon without the aid of the choir! We grew to develop an interest. The performances and the creativity that came with the change in tones, kept us closer to the stage.
Wow! Twenty voices singing at the same time. It was a marvel. Apart from the fact that choirs sing in slow melody, the dances and the artistes’ attire kept us talking.
We learned that choral performances were a show of vocal prowess. Elders have it on good authority that choirs performed to show off musical talent and creativity.
The few of my peers who were vocally gifted took the talent further. They are now music celebrities in different genres. When I read biographies of musicians who have earned a comfortable living in the industry, there is a common line.
It is either they started out at school or church. So those who never went to church or seen the classroom, I wonder where they horned their musical skills.
What is the point?
The choir is a stepping stone to most musical careers. If you do not accept this, I will give you a simple homework. Go to any music library and read on the biographies sections.
The reality is that the church played a crucial role in shaping musicians. I single out the church because this is where the choir still exists.
This is the case with artistes in the States (known to most as the United States of America).
Being in a choir instilled discipline and earned one respect. You just could not be mischievous. The reputation of a choir was to be protected.
The same goes with bands using different style of music communication. Of late, musicians prefer to go it alone. Solo projects are on the lip of every artiste.
Combining talent looks like an old fashioned way of making music. We do not condemn such thoughts. It is embedded in today’s society.
Everyone is unique and yearns for self-achievement. It is natural, hey. Choirs do not offer the platform. The sad truth is that the individualism we have adopted in our lives is eroding some noble ideas.
Choirs seem to be headed for demise. Most people, especially the youth, are shifting to popular music and joining the fan base wagon. Choral music is left with a few who still enjoy it.
How many of our young musicians sang in a choir before launching their careers? That is ample reason to conclude that today’s communities are out of touch with the choir style.
There are few schools that teach music. It would appear there are a small number of music teachers or they no longer take up music as a major at college.
If there are many, why is it music is not taken as a subject in public schools? Those teachers good at music end up in schools that pay better. That is why our children know nothing about a choir. If not introduced at church, the word choir will sound weird.
Only skilled and the dedicated crop of yester-year tutors taught how to sing. Competitions were abound and music talent spotted at such gatherings.
Thankfully, we still have people who love the choir and have time to share the musical knowledge. Tsholotsho High School carries the badge of being one of the best in music. Here is a rural school that has kept its promise not to throw away old traditions.
Soon a music star will emerge brightly from Tsholotsho. The harmonic group of pupils is travelling countrywide because of their good music.
That should be a wake up call to some headmasters. Music talent identification starts from the choir. We appreciate the choral competitions done by churches and others but more work is needed in schools.
Even recording artistes should be invited to choir practice too. International stars are not shy to incorporate the choir. Mariah Carey, Mary J and R Kelly are part of the many American musicians that work with big accapela bands.
Kirk Franklin brought a new thought to revive the choir and made remarkable work. From there the idea gave birth to projects such as Joyous Celebration.
Locally there is ZimPraise. The project is sounding well to the ear. If properly handled, other choirs will surely emerge. The old version of the choir has no instruments while the other is modern – it is voices and high definition sound.
If you have seen a choir, you will agree to this. Locally I know of many choirs. To find out which ones have done collaborations with artistes in other genres proves futile a task.
It is up to the artistes to rethink and engage each other. Fans still remember the good old days when choirs rocked. We are forced to switch on to SABC’s Imizwilili show. Our broadcaster has no choral music programme. It is no surprise that we buy South African music.
I recall Amaphimb’ amnandi on Ztv but that was way back. Even the choirs featured in the show are extinct. Success is attributed to those groups that have toured abroad and there are a few that have landed the rare opportunity to do that.
Nowadays, choirs are a common feature at funerals, if not at church. Society has viewed choristers as “free” entertainers loved by the old and hired by the plain broke. This is just what imbube groups endure.
However, the urban movement will continue to debate that the genre’s refusal to transform with the times is a cause for its current predicament.
It is either you adapt, or die. The key is to sell the choir concept to the willing talented young artistes. How soon this will last is anyone’s guess.
Online Reporter