INingizimu Afrika ivalelisa iqhawe lomculi Odumile u”Babsy” Mlangeni

Namuhla iNingizimu Afrika ivalelise okukugcina inkakha yeqhawe lomculi odumile uBernard “Babsy” Mlangeni, owayenguvulindlela wezinhlobo zomculo ezifana ne-township soul, i-Afropop kanye ne-disco, nomsebenzi wakhe womculo owathatha cishe amashumi ayisithupha eminyaka.

UMlangeni washona ngomhlaka-1 kuMfumfu 2026 eneminyaka engu-83 ubudala ngemuva kokugula. Njengoba ayebhekwa njengenkanyezi yokuqala yezwe engaboni, eyaphula imigoqo embonini yomculo futhi wakhuthaza izizukulwane zabaculi abaphila nokukhubazeka. Kwabanjwa inkonzo yesikhumbuzo e-Soweto Theatre ngoLwesine. Umngcwabo wakhe uba namuhla, ngeSonto, umhlaka-11 kuMfumfu, futhi uhlelwe njengoMngcwabo Osemthethweni Wesifundazwe Okhethekile ngemuva kokugunyazwa nguMongameli uCyril Ramaphosa.

Wazalwa njengoBernard Mlangeni e-Orlando East, eSoweto, ngo-1943, futhi walahlekelwa ukubona eneminyaka emithathu ubudala. Wafunda e-Athlone School for the Blind eKapa, ​​lapho afunda khona ukudlala isiginci futhi wasiza ekusungulweni kweqembu labaculi labafundi elaziwa ngokuthi i-The All-Rounders. Leli qembu, elaliqukethe ikakhulukazi abaculi abangaboni, lasiza ekwakheni uhlobo lomculo owagcina waziwa ngokuthi i-township soul noma i-South African soul. UMlangeni wayengumculi ohamba phambili kulo.

Waqhubeka nokuzakhela igama njengomculi, umdlali wesiginci kanye nomqambi wezingoma. Ingoma yakhe eyaziwa kakhulu, ethi “Sala Emma” — okuyingoma yothando ethinta inhliziyo ngolimi lwesiSotho eyayibhalelwe unkosikazi wakhe u-Emma — yaba yingoma ethandwa kakhulu futhi eyaziwayo, yaze yeqa imingcele yezilimi nezifunda. Ezinye izingoma zakhe ezidumile zihlanganisa i-“Bua Nnete”, i-“Botsotso”, i-“Lonely Man” kanye ne-“Umadlembathini”. Wayecula ngesiZulu, ngesiSotho nangesiXhosa, okwenza umculo wakho wafinyelela kuzihlwele ezivela emiphakathini ehlukene.

UMlangeni wawina umklomelo we-Black Music Award njengoMculi Wesilisa Ohamba Phambili ngo-1975 nangowe-1976. Ngo-2017 wathola umklomelo we-Lifetime Achievement Award kuma-South African Music Awards. Emklomelweni we-National Arts and Culture Awards ka-2025, wahlonishwa ngomklomelo i-Artist Living With Disability Award. Ngo-2012, i-Mafikeng Campus yase-North-West University yamnika i-Chancellor’s Medal njengophawu lokubonga ngegalelo lakhe kwezomculo kanye nomsebenzi wakhe emkhakheni wamalungelo abantu nobulungiswa bomphakathi ngokusebenzisa ubuciko bakhe.

Ungqongqoshe Wezemidlalo, Ezobuciko Namasiko uGayton McKenzie umchaze njengengqalabutho yomculo nomuntu owavula indlela, owayenezwi elaba yingxenye yempilo yabantu baseNingizimu Afrika. IPhini likaNgqongqoshe uPeace Mabe lavakashela umndeni ukuyodlulisa amazwi enduduzo.

UNdunankulu uPanyaza Lesufi kanye neLungu loMkhandlu oPhethe (MEC) uLebogang Maile nabo bakhombisa inhlonipho ngokuhambela umndeni. Inhloko ye-North-West University (Vice-Chancellor) uSolwazi Bismark Tyobeka uthe uMlangeni wenqaba ukuvumela izithiyo zomzimba noma ezenhlalo ukuba zivimbele ikusasa lakhe, waphinde wavulela indlela abaculi nabaciko abangaboni kahle.

Indodakazi kaMlangeni, uZenzi Mlangeni, ithe umndeni ufuna “ukumbuyisela eSoweto”, ilokishi azalelwa kulo futhi lapho uhambo lwakhe lomculo lwaqala khona. Uveze isifiso sokuthi umphakathi waseSoweto nabalandeli bakhe bagubhe impilo yakhe futhi bakhombise inhlonipho ayifanele.