He is no doubt a legendary icon, a traditional and cultural aficionado leading the poetic industry all the way from his base in Matabeleland South where he was born and raised. His fusion of several poetic techniques that he chants with a loud thunderous roar of a lion for a purposive message intended to be received by an actively engaged audience during his performances is a delight.
His name is Lerato Ndlovu, well known as Nqindi in the arts industry. He is a prodigy, not only locally but internationally where we see him on international platforms, exhibiting his poetic aptitude that is narrative, observational, persuasive and heavily lyrical, expressed in isiNdebele language.
Nqindi clearly brings out what he focuses on in his poetry and how this relates to the African culture, “Nxa sikhuluma nge culture sikhuluma ngabombongi bakithi, Imbongi yikuxwayisana, ukufundisana, ukutshela abantu ngezinto ukuze bananekele, ukufundisa ngengozi, ngemikhuhlane, ngento ezinengi ezingabe Zinhle, lezinganhle ukuthi abantu balimuke, siyaxwayisa, siyancedisa, siyakhuza njalo”.
Nqindi has always been fascinated about art since his early years in primary school, where he was largely involved in various art genres and poetry stands out as his major area of specialisation that he is well known for. He can tell a story that serves to inform, educate as well as to entertain. In communicating his messages through poetry, Nqindi does it in an ekphrastic way, that acknowledges how much he appreciates art as an important vehicle for social change.
His comic style chuckles the fans who are mostly in stitches throughout his presentation. Nqindi is traditionally and culturally clad. Among his many accomplishments in the creative industry, Nqindi managed to release his first poetry album with poems such as Samora Machel, Izibongo zikaLobengula, Izibongo zamakhosi eZimbabwe. In this album, Nqindi traces the history of Mthwakazi traditional leaders (izinduna)
According to Obert Dube, the award winning Pan African poet, he recognises the immense contribution by Nqindi in the arts industry where he reveals how much of a role model and inspiration he is especially to upcoming poets. Obert describes him as uNqindi Omnyama, the best Zimbabwean Poet. He mentions that he likes his energy, facial expressions, gesture, confidence and his natural appearance especially while on stage.
Nqindi reveals how he is able to moentise his art as he explains that he depends on it for sustenance and he is doing quite well to afford his family a decent living. It was in 1997 when he started making money out of his praise poetry where he started performing in several functions such as weddings, culture celebrations and birthdays.
Nqindi briefly explains his hat through his poetry he does the following,
Isintu sakithi simnandi nxa umuntu ebonga, lona isiko lakwethu liyimpilo yethu liyikuphila kwethu, nxa sisenza lezi ezamasiko mina ngizizwa ngikholisa, laloba ngingelamali ekshwameni, ngingela kudla, kodwa ngingabonga ngizizwa ngingosuthiyo ukuthi sengingalala nginjalo, mina ngiyakubonga lokhu engikwenzayo njalo ngiyakujabulela.
Ukuvunula leyi imvunulo leyi kungikhumbuza izolo, ukuthi izolo lihlale liyinamhla ngoba vele ngeke sikwekele okwakwethu, isiko lakithi lihle, emasikweni kulenhlonipho, kulokuzibutha, ukukhulisana lokuncedisana lokuhloniphana, sithi Nkosi ubelathi ngoba isiko liyimpilo yethu, isiko liyikuphila
Ngifisa ukuthi ngabe abantwana bayakufuza lokhu bakwenze ukuze babe lempilo enhle njalo thina siyajabula nxa sikholisa sitshayelana izandla sisenza into ezinhle, sincomana ngesiko lakithi sikholisa kuyikuphila thina sikuzwa kumnandi.
