Sally’s frankness
Our population is a sparse 17-million-plus people, a number that should be good enough to draw us closer.
We are supposed to be like one village, where each one knows everybody else.
Okay! Okay! Maybe that is taking things too far. There is no way 17-million-plus people can know each other. Others stay far away from others. Others just meet in busy shops and never meet again. Others look down when walking, so that they may not have the slightest hint on people they have met in a day. Others simply have short memories. Such is life.
But, at least, people in an industry or industries that work close together have to know each other and understand each other.
This holds especially true in the music and broadcasting industries.
Over the years, DJs and musicians have learned to work together. I avoid mentioning the term ‘artists’ because it is too broad.
DJs play music composed by musicians. Musicians get into the limelight by enjoying airtime. If the listener likes the song, they are more likely to patronise a show organised by the musician they like. I do not want to talk about shows organised by managers of artists because some musicians still have no managers.
Now, few years ago, I had the opportunity to chat with Sally Nyundo and discuss music issues.
That time, the ‘Ras Amadya Mzimbe’ hit was on song, or on everyone’s lips if I can say.
The song demystifies the life of a Rasta and alludes to the fact that the Rasta is just like all human beings. The Rasta has hopes, fears, loves, hates— something like that.
Sally, it must be said, is a smiling guy. Mr Ever Smile.
Sally talked about music, how rewarding and unrewarding it is.
Then, he bemoaned that some DJs frustrate artists by demanding money. Consequently, he said, unworthy music was enjoying airplay [at least then] at the expense of worthy music.
I said: “Why did you not include that in ‘Ras Amadya Mzimbe’?”
He said: “What? Could they [DJs] play it [the song] in that case?”.
Upon which, Sally laughed.
I laughed too, joining in the laughter because it was infectious.
That’s the only time I shared the stage with Sally.
I mean, the ‘stage of laughter’ of something as painful as one’s music not being played because of integrity.
Now, when some people accuse me of achieving nothing in life, I take them to that point when I shared the ‘stage of laughter’ with Sally!
I am an achiever. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
I will put this on my curriculum vitae!
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