Themba Ncube
| "I was born on june 6 1962 at Mpilo hospital. Mpilo hospital is in mzilikazi, one of the oldest townships in Bulawayo Zimbabwe. I belong to the salvation army church where i leant to play trumpet and guitar at an early age . When I was 10 years old I moved to harare where I finished my primary and part of my Secondary education before taking up music professionally at age 17. The first band I played with was the Storm, The band rose to prominance with such hits as sabuku ,by jonah sithole.Zarura musuyo tipinde Norman chiwiza and Costa makonese´s rungire " "After a year with the group I moved on to play with among other bands, Tineyi chikupho. Gypsy caravan, Atlantis, Faith, at club hide out. Before joining Destiny at the fedaral hotel Kudzanayi hotel, After wich I had met gutarist Sam Banana a leged to those in the know, together with Cookie gusha of the baked beans fame, Andrew Ndzimbe, and a host of musician in Mbare and Highfields I played in the clubs in and around Harare before joining Thomas mapfumo and the blacks Unlimited. I was part of the Blacks Ulimited for many years, With them I played in almost all Zimbabwean towns and many countries in Africa & Europe. I also helped a one of my best friends Tobias Areketa who was also a member of the band to record his first album Mavambo. There after a played for a short while with Oliver Mtukundzi before going back to the blacks unlimited. I then left harare played short while with Horn of Africa in Bulawayo. Moved to Que que played with zig zag gomo ramasare boys. recorded some albums with them including the vamandela before moving to my home town bulawayo, where I teamed up with my old friend Cannan Marozwa to form Akwaba, we where later joined by the late Jose of the Eye of liberty fame . We played jazz venues in Bulawayo ,Harare & Botswana, In Botswana we played as a backing group to great musicans such as Abigail Kubeka, Dorothy Masuku, Paul Lunga ect: Strive jazz band, a band I,Phil Mcnaby & Jose put together was the last band i played with before moving to Sweden where I am living for now. Since arriving in Sweden 2001 I have been busy recording my music wich i had been writting over the years . I have teamed up with M´zwake a south africanjazz muso and a host of other musicians from Sweden the states whom I play gigs around the clubs in Stockholm as Dawgzbiteback, African Herb & blue room." Highltghts of my music life so far: 1- Being given the red carpet when we we first toured Germany with the Blacks Unlimited for the november Africa festival in 1984. 2- Playing at some of London's biggest venues such as: W.O.M.A.D. festival, Buttersea Park and The Forum. 3- Playing at the human rights concert in Zimbabwe, on the same bill with Bruce Springstein, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, Sting & Yousor Ndour. 4- Other ARTISTS I have been able to JAM with :Kenny Marozwa with whom I cofounded the Band AKWABA.Themba Ndlovu. Hugh Masekela, Misty in Roots, Abigail Kubeka, Dorothy Masuka, Torera Mpendzisi, Louis "Soyaphi" Mhlanga and the late José Musonda, Jethro Shasha and Maselo who was also a great friend, guide and a teacher of mine. |
The early years Themba Pondoman Ncube
| And to all the departed mussos I have had the plesure of associating with one way or another, till we met again, Keep the Angels dancing" |
