Sfiso remembered
By Sbu Ngubane
It has been a year now since Sfiso passed away and to many gospel fans it still feels like it happened yesterday. Once again we remember him for this interview he had with the publisher of Abasiki Bebunda Newspaper Sbu Ngubane a few years before he opened his own record label - Ncwane Music Productions - may his soul rest in peace - Hamba kahle boy, uyibekile induku ebandla...
How are you doing Sfiso?
I'm physically well Sbu but emotionally I'm wrecked up.
That’s bad news. What are these mixed feelings all about?
I'm looking for a lost father, mfwethu. His name is Desmond Mlamuli Zikhali. I hear he lives somewhere in the Eastern Cape. All my life I have been yearning to meet my old man but my mother doesn't want to hear anything about it. The sad part of it is that I know she knows his whereabouts but she has made it clear that she won't let me know.
Reason being?
Insecurity, I suppose. She says my father is a rich man so chances are I'll leave her for him in case I meet him. I don't know the basis of her insecurities because I've made it clear that I'm not after my father's money. All I need is to see his face, call him father and perhaps hear him calling me son too. This will bring some closure to this chapter of my life filled with so many question marks.
What question marks?
S’bu, I'm no longer interested in how my parents parted ways anymore, that’s their own business. But as Africans we meet challenges in life that have everything to do with your own heritage and ritual customs. The only reason I'm going on record is to reassure my mother that I would never leave her for anything.
Without taking anything away from your father, maybe your mother is doing this for your own good. Picture this, you are a superstar and everyone knows you. Don't you think if your father was interested he would have made some attempts to reach you?
(Sighs) I don't know because my mother won’t even tell me whether he’s still alive or not. But if he has passed away, why does she make it so impossible for me to go to his grave so that at least I can pay my last respects? And given the circumstances under which my father left while I was still an infant, it’s not like he neglected me. So if he’s still alive I want him to know that I'm fully aware of what happened so I hold no grudges against him.
Let’s hope he reads this article and we wish you good luck in finding him. If he contacts us we'll hook him up with you
I'd appreciate that.
Now tell us about your music career. How did it all begin?
You won't believe this. The whole fire was kindled by a friend's stepfather, a truck driver who travelled between Durban and Johannesburg.
One may as well shoot a doccie called the truck driver who turned S’fiso’s fortunes around
(laughs) That would be an epic on life and times of Sfiso Ncwane ka Zikhali.
Tell us more about this truck driver. How did he change your life?
By birth I'm from uMthwalume in the South Coast region of KwaZuluNatal. Having sung with a local gospel group called Quiet Storm for some time I realised that I could fly much higher, only if I could get to Johannesburg where music dreams could come true at that time. However, in Jozi I neither had friends nor relatives. Then my number one fan and friend from the neighbourhood told his stepfather, a long distance truck driver about my predicament. My friend's stepfather hooked me up with his friends in Johannesburg; Maxwell Thango and the late Sicelo Ngobese who arranged accomodation for me in Bramley. It is these two gentlemen that raised the money for the recording of my debut album called Vulamasango.
How did Vulamasango fair in the market?
Not too well, mainly because the company I recorded with was small and the marketing wasn't up to scratch. However, it marked the beginning of a thousand mile journey I'm travelling right now.
Bon voyage mfwethu. Then you ended up at Bula Music. How come?
Lundi bought my CD from a music shop and got impressed with my singing talent. Then he passed the copy to his producer Tshepo Nzimande who at a time was conducting auditions at Bula Music. I would hear afterwards that they'd tried to trace me through my previous record company without much success. By a twist of fate I heard about the auditions and landed at Bula Music to try my luck. As I stepped into the auditioning studio Tshepo greeted me by saying: "There you are. We have been looking all over for you.”
And you must have felt like, wow, what's this guy talking about?
Yes, I was dumbstruck. But after they had explained everything to me I realised that my prayers to God had finally been answered. I thank God for everything.
So the journey of a thousand mile began. How far do you think you have travelled as far as your destination is concerned?
It is difficult to say. I would rather prefer to let people judge for themselves. But yes, I feel I have made my mark and would have gone a bit far was the relationship between me and my producer still as rosy as when we started.
But they say producers are every artist's spinal chord, so to speak
I also agree. The man has done a lot for me and I appreciate that. But a spinal chord must also remember that it is ineffective without flesh and ligaments that hold it together in its place. It takes a very strong flexible muscle to build an artist but destroying him is as easy as dismantling a house built of cards. Morally speaking, I think this is exactly what my producer is trying to do right now.
And why all of sudden?
More often than not it's money issues that stoke these fires Sbu. Not that I'm overrating myself, but everyone who follows my career closely can be confused that so far I haven't scored a gold disc. When I ask my producer about the sales figures today, he'll tell me that my album has sold more than 22 000 copies, and when I inquire the following week, all of a sudden my sales have dropped to 17 000. How can you explain that? You won't believe me when I tell you that I only started recently speaking to my bosses after two years recording with my company just because this very person I'm talking about prevented it mfwethu. It's tough in this industry.
Yeah, it sounds pretty much like a catch 22 situation between the two of you guys and one can't help but wonder how emotions ultimately reach such a boiling point between two artists working together for a common goal of success?
Mfwethu, it hurts when a person you trusted betrays you. It's even worse when that very person who used to believe in you makes a sudden u-turn and start saying you are useless and a nobody, just an ordinary human being with a voice he can replace within a drop of a hat. That you are a dog whose life depends on him. When that very person you entrusted with your future suddenly tells you he made you and as such, he can easily break you down like a twig. When that person constantly reminds you that he picked you from the streets, scrubbed you up like a filthy pig, turned you into a superstar, therefore you are his slave forever. That he carries your music keys and no other door in the world of music would be opened for you without his blessing. When a person calls you with your own mother's private parts and you can't tell him to stop, though it hurts, because he is ready to show you the door out of the music world for good. It hurts pretty bad man.
Looks like you’re trapped in an abusive business relationship and this must have demoralised you
Completely. Any artist will tell you that the worst thing that can happen to them is to get sworn at minutes prior to a stage performance. These confrontations between me and my producer have taken place during these very crucial moments and demoralised me completely. Mfwethu, the worst thing is that in 1998 I was struck by lightning , so my left side always suffer excruciating pains every time I get distressed. As a result my stage performances get affected.
You have painted a very gloomy picture of the other side of fame but nonetheless we wish you the best
Thanks. As we speak I’m trying to get the best lawyers that can negotiate my way out of this contract. I have had enough of this abuse.
Cheers man. Whatever the outcome, in the meantime let’s hope things finally work out between the two of you guys. Thanks for speaking to us
Cheers
A few years after this interview, Sfiso left Bula Music for CCP Records under the guidance of legendary gentleman producer the late Big Boy Mlangeni. Unfortunately, Mlangeni soon passed away. Then he started his own Record Label
