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Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]

LOCAL teacher and musician, Trevor Mawaka has authored a book that aims to shed light on the stories and struggles of Bulawayo’s thriving musical community. The city is renowned for its vibrant arts and cultural scene, with its music sector serving as a long-standing source of pride and inspiration.

Mawaka is a man on a mission! His urban pride has pushed him to not only sing a song but also pen a book based on musical minds based in Bulawayo, a feat he hopes ignites conversation into what the cultural city is all about.

Titled, “Curating Bulawayo’s Music Space — Conversations Over Coffee,” the book is a labour of love that has spanned over a year of research and interviews. It features the stories of five local musicians, including Mzoe 7, MJ Sings, Kinah The Music, Asaph Afrika and Msiz’Kay.

Mawaka, who himself straddles the realms of education and the creative arts, told Chronicle Showbiz that he was driven by a desire to celebrate the often-overlooked local musicians and their contributions to Bulawayo’s distinctive cultural identity.

“The idea was to tell our stories. Our celebrities and creatives tell our stories. If we don’t celebrate them, who will? I just wanted to fill a gap that I saw and I’m sure in a way, I’m adding value to the sector.

“The arts and culture sector needs all hands on the deck. When you see a gap, fill it up and make sure we grow as an industry. Our children will value that someone took the time to celebrate our creatives,” he explained.

Mawaka’s decision to conduct the interviews over coffee at the Hide Out Cafe, a hub for Bulawayo’s artistic community nestled right at the heart of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, was a deliberate one.

“I’ve always associated art with creative spaces. I love the art gallery and the aesthetic feelings associated with the institution. So, when the idea came up, I thought of the Hide Out Cafe, a haven for creatives right in the middle of the home of the arts, the art gallery,” he said.

Mawaka expressed regret over the loss of content on several other artistes who were meant to be featured in the book, including Tariro NeGitare, Noluntu J, Vuyo Brown and Madlela Skhobokhobo, due to a technical mishap.

Despite the challenges, the common themes that emerged from the interviews were clear: a desire to break into the national music scene and make a sustainable living from their craft.

“They all want to grow and maybe, be as big as Majaivana was. They all want to make a living from the arts. They all want to grow beyond Bulawayo,” he observed.

As a musician and school teacher himself, Mawaka’s approach to the project was shaped by his dual experiences.

“I’m a music scholar who balances the creative spaces with the scholarly aspect of the arts. This makes me confidently speak on the arts and I did speak in this book both creatively and scholarly.”

Mawaka hopes that readers will come away from the book with a deeper understanding and appreciation of Bulawayo’s musical talents.

“It’s one of the few, if not the only reads that focuses on the Bulawayo music scene. In the book, you will discover who these artistes are and who Trevor Mawaka is.”

The book is set to launch in the last week of August and Mawaka sees it as the first in a series of works exploring Zimbabwe’s music and poetry.

“I’m lining up For Music is Poetry — a book on poetry on Zimbabwe’s music and musicians,” he said.

For Mawaka, the act of documenting and celebrating Bulawayo’s music scene is not just a personal passion but a vital contribution to the city’s cultural landscape since “Bulawayo is home. Bulawayo is peaceful. It is a joy. It is life. It’s the home of the arts and I’m an artist and I’m proud to be a Bulawayo boy or man”. —  Follow on X @MbuleloMpofu