By Sophumelela Singqota.
IMvumi yeJazz edumileyo uErnest “Stompie” Manana wayengumdlali wexilongo owaziwa kwihlabathi liphela ngomsebenzi wakhe owathatha iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amahlanu (50).
Lo kaManana usweleke ngenyanga yeThupha ka-2025, eneminyaka engamashumi asibhozo anesithoba (89) ubudala, kwinyanga nje ngaphambi kokuba abe neminyaka engamashumi alithoba (90) ubudala.
Kubo bonke ubomi bakhe, eli gqala leJazz yayisaziwa ngokuba nguBra Stompie, okuthetha isiphunzi ngesiBhulu. Eli gama lisuka ekubeni wazalwa ngaphambi kwexesha, njengoko wayemncinci kwaye ebuthathaka kwiintsuku zakhe zokuqala esengumntwana.
Wazalelwa eSophiatown ngonyaka ka-1935 kwaye kamva wafudukela eMeadowlands ngeminyaka yoo-1950 kunye nosapho lwakhe, apho wayehlala khona nakwiminyaka yakhe yobudala.
Imvumi yeJazz yakhula inothando lo mculo, idlala ixilongo kanye njengoko uyise nabantakwabo benzayo.
Ngelixa ixilongo liyinto aziwa ngayo, umculi we jazz waqala ngepiyano xa wayeneminyaka eyi 11 ubudala kwaye watshintshela kwixilongo kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini.
“UTata akazange akuvume ukuba ndidlale ixilongo lakhe, esithi ndinemiphunga ebuthathaka ngenxa yesakhiwo sam esincinci kunye nenyaniso yokuba ndazalwa ndilusana oluzelwe ngaphambi kwexesha, livela apho igama elithi Stompie, elithetha ukuba “ncinci” ngesiBhulu,” uxelele iJazz Life.”
Imagazini ngo-2019.
Akuthandabuzeki ukuba uManana wenze uphawu olungacimekiyo kumculo weJazz waseMzantsi Afrika. Wayekwabhiyozelwa ngokuba phakathi kwamalungu aseka iAfrican Jazz Pioneers. Apho, uManana wasebenza ngokuzimisela ukuvuselela izandi ezidlamkileyo zeJazz yeLokishi enkulu, edibanisa ujingi, iMarabi, kunye nezingqisho zaseAfrika ezichaza isizukulwana.
Ukwabelana ngezigaba
Umqambi odumileyo, uManana wabelane ngobomi bakhe nabantu abadumileyo kwimbali yoMzantsi Afrika. Ebuntwaneni bakhe, wayofunda eSt Cyprian kwaye wayephantsi kweliso letshantliziyo elichasene nocalucalulo laseTshetshi uTata uTrevor Huddleston, owabizwa nguManana nabahlobo bakhe
“Die Jerry” ngenxa yobude bakhe.
UHuddleston ukwaseke iqela labafundi bakhe abasebatsha kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo iSt Peter’s eRosettenville, eRhawutini, apho uManana wayesebenza ngokusondeleyo nongasekhoyo, nowayengumdlali wexilongo uHugh Masekela.
“Esi yayisesinye sezona zikolo zidumileyo abantu abantsundu ababefunda kuzo ngelo xesha. Kulapho ndadibana khona noHugh Masekela oselula, endimthandayo ndamphatha njengomninawa”.
“Ndandidlala umculo ngoko, ndaye ndamsa kwimiboniso bhanyabhanya yomculo kwaye ndamnceda ukuba avuthele ngomlomo wakhe wokuqala ngaphambi kokuba adlale ixilongo lakhe lokuqala,” uxelele iJazz Life Magazine.
Esi sibini sasiphucula izakhono zaso ngexesha leeholide zesikolo, sizilolonge kwiGaraji kaMasekela eAlexandra. UManana wayeza kukhenketha kamva namaqela afana neSavoy Havanas, iAfrican Swingsters, kunye nabadlali beJazz abohlukeneyo abaneTalente kuquka uGideon Numalo, iMackay Davashe, Peter Rezant, Kippie Moeketsi, Zakes Nkosi, kunye noGwigwi Mrwebi.
Ubuye wadlala ngemvakalelo yomphefumlo uShirley Brown kunye noClarence Carter xa babekhenketha
Mzantsi Afrika.
Ngelixa iJazz yayibonakala iluthando lwakhe lokuqala, uManana wayesaziwa ngokuba ngumzobi onesiphiwo. Iziqwenga zakhe zihombisa iindonga zabaqokeleli bezobugcisa abahlukeneyo, kwaye banamalungelo okuqhayisa ngokuba luthando lwakhe lokuqala.
Kugaleleke imbeko emva kweendaba zokubhubha kwakhe ngempelaveki kwaye imiyalezo esuka entliziyweni ibibhiyozela ubugcisa bakhe, ingcebiso kunye nokufudumala komntu.
Unyana wakhe, uO’Brien Manana, wabelana ngentlungu yakhe kunye nekratshi ngelifa likayise.
“Andizange ndibe neentlungu ezinje ebomini bam. Ndiza kukukhumbula Tata. Ubuphila, ubuthanda, kwaye ukhuthazile.
“Uluthande kakhulu usapho lwakho, kwaye usifundise ukuthanda. RIP Ntate Stompie Manana, uya kuphoswa kakhulu, “ubhale watsho ku-Instagram.”
IZiko loMculo laseRhawutini, iziko apho uManana waphefumlela inyambalala yabafundi, wabonelela ngengcebiso kwaye wadlala indima ebalulekileyo kwiGauteng Jazz Orchestra, uchaze ubomi bakhe “njengobuphila kakuhle ngokwenene”.
“Uninzi lwabafundi bethu, emva kokugqiba ngempumelelo abafundi babo imidlalo yeqonga, baye bafumana inyhweba yokujoyina iokhestra njengenxalenye yoqeqesho lwabo phantsi kokhokelo lwakhe kunye nezinye iintsomi ezinkulu.”
