zulu.2613.soul
Umculo wakhe weSoul usezwakala
Sikhumbula i-Godfather
UJAMES BROWN wawuguqula umculo. “Kulula kanjalo,” kusho uMfu Al Sharpton, isishoshovu sezombusazwe esasingumngani osondelene nalesi sihlabani somculo.
“Lokho uJames Brown abeyikho emculweni ngokwe-soul ne-hip-hop, i-rap, yilokho uBach abeyikho emculweni we-classic,” kusho uSharpton.
“Wabeka wonke umuntu esigqini esahlukile, esitayeleni somculo esahlukile. Waba yingqalabutho yawo.”
I-“Godfather Of Soul” yazalwa ngo-1933 emijondolo yase-Barnwell, eSouth Carolina. Yakhuliswa ngubabekazi uHoney, owayenendlu ethengisa ngocansi.
Ebunganeni bakhe, uBrown wayezitholela imali ngokuvuna ukotini, ukucwebezelisa izicathulo endlini ethengisa ngocansi kanye nangokucula emincintiswaneni yokuvunjululwa kwamakhono.
Wabuye waba mdibi munye neqembu lezigekeqe, kwathi eneminyaka engu-16, watholwa enecala lokubamba inkunzi ehlomile wathunyelwa ejele labasebancane. Lapho wahlangana noBooby Byrd, umndeni wakhe owasiza uBrown ukuthi athole ukudedelwa ngokushesha.
UBrown waguqukela emculweni, wezwa impumelelo okokuqala neqembu likaByrd, ama-Flames.
KULE minyaka yokuqala, izingoma ze-R&B zazigqugquzelwe yiGospel, zinomthelela wabaculi abanjengo-Ray Charles.
Konke lokho kwashintsha nge-Out Of Sight ka-1964. Izingoma ezathandwa ngokweqile i-I Got You (I Feel Good) nePapa’s Got A Brand New Bag.
Kuwo wonke ama’60s, uBrown wayedlala ubusuku obuhlanu noma obuyisithupha ngesonto. Amakhonsathi akhe abantu bewathokozela.
Ikhonsathi lakhe elaba likhulu kunawo wonke ngaleso sikhathi lalikwi-Teenage Awards Music International Show e-LA ngo-1964 nokuyilapho ayedlala neqembu lama-Rolling Stones ayesuka eNgilandi.
Ukudlala kwakhe okwalandela kwakungokuhle kuwo wonke umsebenzi ayeke wawenza, lapho uBrown adlala imidanso eminingi yangaleso sikhathi - i-mashed potato, i-popcorn, i-camel walk – eyenza ngobunyoninco obashiya abantu benkemile.
Lapho esemlandela, amaStones abukeka njengezimfundamakhwela.
UBROWN waqhubeka nokuzama izinto ezehlukene emculweni, kwathi ngo-1967 wakhipha iCold Sweat. Kwakuyingoma okwakudlalwa kuyo inothi elilodwa, nokuyingoma ethathwa njengokuqoshwa kokuqala kwe-funk “kwangempela”.
I-I Got The Feelin’, Licking Stick-Licking Stick neFunky Drummer zenza uBrown wacolisisa isitayela sakhe se-funk saqhubekela phambili.
Indawo yakhe lapho ayesebenzisa khona iphimbo, engahlabeleli futhi engakhulumi, yaba nomthelela omkhulu ku-rap eminyakeni eyishumi eyalandela. Nenkakha yomculi uMichael Jackson yathatha ukumemeza nokudansa kukaBrown yakufaka ku-pop eyayejwayelekile njengomculi owayecula phambili kumaJackson 5.
Okuqukethwe yizingoma zikaBrown kwakuthuthuka kanyekanye nokwethulwa kwazo. Ukuphawula ngezokuhlala nezombusazwe kanye namagama ayencoma ukukhuthazeka nokuba nezifiso kwakugcwele ezingomeni ezinjengo-Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud And I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I’ll Get It Myself).
Wangena eminyakeni yo-1970 nebhendi entsha, iJames Brown Revue, kwathi ngo-1974 wacula eZaire empini kaMuhammad Ali noGeorge Foreman eyayaziwa ngokuthi yi-Rumble In The Jungle.
Izingoma ezaqanjwa ezinjenge-Payback, Papa Don’t Take No Mess, Stoned To The Bone, Funky President (People It’s Bad) neGet Up Offa That Thing zisathathwa njengamarekhodi akhe amahle kunawo wonke.
I-Godfather Of Soul yaba nokuvuseleleka kokuthandwa ngeminyaka yo-1980 futhi yaba negalelo elikhulu ekuphumeleleni kwabanye abaculi.
Ngo-1986, ekanye no-Elvis Presley, uChuck Berry noLittle Richard, wayengomunye weqembu lokuqala labaculi abangeniswa kuRock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Ngemuva konyaka owodwa, waba nenye ingoma eyathandwa kakhulu ngeLiving in America, eyamtholela iGrammy yeBest Male R&B Vocal Performance ngo-1987.
Wabuye wakhombisa ukuthi usenakho ukuchwensa. Ngo-1988, waboshwa ngemuva kokuhamba ngesivinini esikhulu ngemoto ngesikhathi beqa umngcele waseGeorgia-South Carolina
Watholwa enecala lokuphatha isibhamu esingenalayisense kanye nokushaya iphoyisa, kanye namacala ehlukahlukene aphathelene nezidakamizwa nawokushayela.
Yize agwetshwa iminyaka eyisithupha edonsa ejele, wagcina ekhishiwe ngo-1991 ngemuva kokudonsa iminyaka emithathu kuphela yesigwebo sakhe.
Njengoba isikhundla sakhe njengosaziwayo sasisimeme, umculi owayezibiza ngokuthi uyi-“The Hardest Working Man In Show Business”, wasebenzisa unyaka ka-2006 ngokuba enze amakhonsathi emhlabeni jikelele, kanti kuwo wonke amakhonsathi kwakugcwala nokuyinto eyakhombisa ngokusobala ukuthi abantu bayawuthakasela umculo wakhe.
Ekuseni ngovivi lomhlaka 25 December 2006, leli qhawe ledlula emhlabeni ngenxa yokumelwa yinhliziyo nokwakungumphumela wezinkinga ezadalwa yisifo se-neumonia.
Ngokomngani wakhe owayesondelene kakhulu naye, amazwi kaJames Brown okugcina kwaba ngukuthi athi: “Ngiyahamba namuhla kusihlwa.”
Lokho kungaba njalo, kepha iGodfather of Soul isaqhubeka nokuphila. [z]
BONA ZULU – March 2007
NGENHLA: UJames Brown enomkakhe wesine uTomi Rae Hynie.
UJames Brown wawushintsha ngempela umculo we-pop. Make sibheke impilo yaleli qhawe…
BONA ZULU – March 2007
indaba ngu-ISAAC KWELA
