Chronicle Editor
Mkhululi Ncube, [email protected]
Rhumba music elder Obert “Gobiqolo” Bhebhe of the Abafundisi band is making his return to the music scene after a five-year hiatus during which he answered his ancestral calling and was initiated as an Inyanga.
The artiste, who is among the few still alive to have danced alongside the late Rhumba legend Ndux Malax, will launch his ninth album, Usebuyile Umdala, in South Africa this Friday.
The lanky musician is the brother of popular Rhumba dancer and musician Phikile “Samathwala” Bhebhe, known for his work with Mokis Connection Band. Gobiqolo’s journey mirrors that of fellow artiste Obert Isangoma Sebass Vundla, who also briefly left music to heed his ancestral calling.
The upcoming album features six tracks: “Gamu Gulu”, “Hango Yahoma”, “Siyabathwala Zenge”, “Ndotjidza Banhu”, “Hamba Loliwe” and “Ugogo”.
Hailing from Sanzukwi in Mangwe District, Gobiqolo has embraced his role as a healer full-time after a two-year initiation but decided to reconnect with his first passion – music.
“I completed my primary education at Sanzukwi Primary after the war, where I was a poet and sang in the school choir. After grade seven, I moved to Kezi, where I formed my first band, Omadu Sounds, using homemade guitars. I named the band after Omadu Hotel in Maphisa,” the 55-year-old artiste recounted.
Gobiqolo moved to Bulawayo in 1989 and lived with Ndux Malax in Hyde Park suburb, where he met Modios Chauke and others. He left Ndux in 1992 to move to Botswana, where he received sponsorship and formed The Breeze band.
“The sponsor also backed South African bands like Girl Mafura and Linda Majika, whom I worked with. I returned home in 1994 and collaborated with former Ndux Malax members like Chauke, Winders, and Sam under the name Abafundisi. We spent two years in Musina and Thohoyandou,” he said.
After returning home in 1996, Gobiqolo crossed back to Botswana, where he was granted a permit by the government to teach Rhumba music. He shared the stage with Madalaboy during his second stint in Botswana.
“I returned home in 2000 and continued my music career but fell ill in 2007, which disrupted my progress. After recovering, I secured sponsorship in 2010 and recorded the album Page 7. In 2019, I released Uzophetha Ngani Mthakathi, featuring the hit song ‘Makudo’. After relocating back home, I faced health challenges again, prompting me to undergo initiation in 2021, which I completed in July 2023,” he explained.
Other albums by Abafundisi include Kudzanani, Zikhiphani EsiKhalangeni, Baqhubekela Phambili Abafana baka Ndux Malax, Bafun’ukuzenza Thina, KuBulilima, and Hule Kwetjedza Tjehango.
Gobiqolo is now working as a healer in his rural home after finishing his training. He expressed enthusiasm for his album’s release, marking his return to the music industry.
“I have spent much of my time as a musician based in my rural home to take care of my homestead and livestock. For this album, I collaborated with Madalaboy, Dumezweni Ncube, M3, and Godie, while Thandanzani Ncube and Modios Chauke provided backing vocals,” he said.
The album launch will feature his three daughters on the dance front line, as they are accomplished dancers and have appeared in his DVDs.
Online Reporter