adminMbongeni Msimanga Sunday Leisure Correspondent
THEY are called grand daddies of jazz music whose energetic and flawless performance on stage confirms their experience and defies their age. They are old enough to be called grand daddies and yet young enough to maintain a bold stage presence that can even threaten some youthful artistes out of their wits.
They have, however, recently fallen in love with the capital where they felt their artistry is more appreciated in terms of rewards than in Bulawayo insisting that they were not monkeys that perform for peanuts.
In an interview with Sunday Leisure on Wednesday, George Salimu who is the current leader of the famed Cool Crooners band tells the story of Bulawayo’s waning entertainment industry with agony.
An atmosphere of melancholy surrounds him as he explains the sea of difference in approach between the music promoters in the capital and those in Bulawayo who he described as up to lining their own pockets.
“Running the music promotion business between Harare and Bulawayo is not even comparable. There are people who are into that business specifically for that in the capital. Music is therefore big business in Harare than in Bulawayo where promoters are hard to come by,” said Salimu.
He said he hoped to see a day when professionalism in running shows and music in general in the city would return. He lamented how they had been used for paltry amounts in the city and hinted that as long as the situation was not rectified, Bulawayo would forever be the incubator of artistic talent, which talent would be enjoyed in Harare where there was great appreciation and rewards.
Yes, this is the story of the Cool Crooners, who have often been named the Cool Grand Daddies whose fame is now more prominent in the capital than their home town.
Salimu, who was previously with the Submarine Band, joined the group four years ago although he recalls the popularity of the Cool Crooners since time immemorial.
With the current crop of promoters, the band leader said their music would never see the light of day in Bulawayo as most musicians were merely being ripped off their creativity.
“We have been rehearsing the stuff that we want to record and we have been debating with my fellow group members on whether it is wise for us to release two albums or simply one, we are yet to decide on that. The problem that we have in Bulawayo is that of promoters. We don’t understand them. They simply do not want to pay,” he said.
He added that at first they thought promoters simply did not understand their music anymore, they opted for the young crop of musicians but they later realised that even the youngsters were big in Harare than in their own backyard.
That, he said, saw them scouting for alternative markets while at the same time isolating their home fans.
“Promoters in Bulawayo rarely approach us. They only stick to foreign artistes and the young crop of musicians who are still yearning for recognition and can sometimes prefer to perform for peanuts and we are never slotted in. Maybe they have simply forgotten our music, but we are still as energetic as ever,” said Salimu.
In as much as it may seem like they have isolated their fans in Bulawayo the Bhulugwe Lami hit makers said the reception they got in Harare was tremendous as their music was well appreciated by the fans.
Salimu said they had stage chemistry with other bands each time they performed in Harare and this made them feel “more on demand”.
“It is so beautiful every time we perform in Harare. It makes us feel wanted and takes us back to our heydays. So many bands back us and any group that comes along will play to our standards and we really appreciate it. People there love what we do and we have given them just that,” he said.
The group has been in existence for close to six decades and has managed with so much ease to replace departed members. Apart from Salimu the group has Lucky Thodlana, Timothy Mnkandla, and Abel Sithole.
Evidently, the lovely men in white suits said they have not accrued meaningful wealth through music although they have managed to live their life and support their families yet promoters still want to take advantage of these groups.
“We really have not managed to acquire much wealth from music, but music is our life. It has made us support, educate and bring bread to the table. It is unfortunate that promoters still want to continue to take advantage of us,” said the band leader.
Talk of a group which extensively toured many European countries during the peak of its career.
What may come as a surprise to many is that their stay in the volatile showbiz industry does not tally with the number of their recorded albums. To date, they have only three albums Blue Sky, in 2001, Ibhulugwe Lami in 2002, and Isatilo in 2005 and they are working on their fourth album.
He advised young and other up and coming musicians to keep away from the temptation of the fairer sex.
“Some of us have managed to stay this long in the music industry because we have been avoiding the temptation of women. A lot of others who could not resist some of these things that come with the celebrity status are late now and it’s quite unfortunate,” said Salimi.
He added with chuckles that as old as they were they still faced that problem at various shows.
Online Reporter