AFFECTIONATELY known as Madlela Skhobokhobo in entertainment cycles, Mothusi Bashimane Ndlovu is a deeply rooted spiritual person, a firm believer in the cultural and traditional practices and values, with attributes of an indigenous African.
The Gwanda bred comedian comes in an array of artistic assortments including a director, writer, producer, musician and a Disc Jockey, spinning the decks at Skyz Metro FM radio station.
Madlela mentions how his mother influenced his singing career as she cultivated a culture of singing and praying as a family before they went to bed.
“My mother was so passionate about singing and this largely influenced me to consider music as one of my career paths… Ngikhula (When I grew up), my mother was a lay preacher at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe (ELCZ), and she used to sing a lot”, adds the proud father of four.
Dlelas, as he is also popularly known by this name is married to his gorgeous queen, Qhawekazi Moyo. On the theatre/acting side, as this gentleman is a multitalented creative, he talks about his first breakthrough into this field while doing Form one at Manama high school.
A village boy with little or no experience in as far as theatre art was concerned, joined a drama club where he would execute his acting skills and capabilities with so much zest that led him to take up this profession to a higher level. “I am glad, when I got to Manama I was taught indaba ze theatre and acting, remember I was just a boy from emakhaya ngikwazi the music side of art, I did not know the theatre side”, he recalls.
Madlela briefly explains how spirituality shapes his art as he waits for a calling to do as he has been directed and therefore he does not receive an inspiration from his fellow creatives.
“Whatever I do, I do not look at other artists for inspiration, my art is spiritual, ngiyalinda as my art is influenced by umoya, I don’t even go deeper and I believe that this is how my art is different from eyabanye”, he says.
Dlelas believes that snubbing traditional and cultural norms and values as Africans may present one with a lot of challenges in life.
“As long as we are still running away from our shadow, we will never see Africa coming back to us, Africa in so many ways is not in our hands, we are controlled by other people’s influences through culture such that we have forgotten who we are”. He adds that this is why as Africans we have lost a connection with what he refers to as iZithunywa, in African Spirituality, where in Christianity these are called Angels.
“If you lose a connection with iZithunywa zakho, uyadideka, idirection kayibuyi kuhle, iAfrica has no direction because we have lost our roots connection and this is why they say the face of Africa yinhlupheko (poverty)”, he says.
Madlela says that if we can retrace and rediscover ourselves as Africans, Africa will be the number 1 continent in the world because we have it all. He explains that whatever we have is easily taken away from us because we are not properly aligned, “Konke esilakho bayabuya basitshontshele bahambe lakho kibo sisale sihlupheka ngoba we are not connected to our roots”.
Madlela mentions that as artists they are societal mirrors and it means that firstly they have to know who they are. “Nxa ngizazi mina njengoMadlela Skhobokhobo, Mothusi Bashimane Ndlovu, whatever I do, kuyenelisa ukufundisa abantu ukuthi ngingubani, angifiki ebantwini ngizenze angani I am an American, something that I am not, ngihlala ngiyilokho engiyikho khona and by so doing I become a role model to other people ababuye bahawukele ubuAfrican engiyibo bona”.
Since he got into the creative industry, Dlelas boasts of several recognitions that include the following awards,
2017 Best Newcomer, Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards, RoilBAA
2017 Best Actor – Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards, RoilBAA
2017 Song of the Year – Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards, RoilBAA
2017 Song of the Year – Skyz Metro FM awards
2016 People’s Choice award – Zim Achievers awards
2019 Best Tshibilika – Skyz Metro Fm awards
2020 Best Tshibilika – Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards, RoilBAA
2021 Best Tshibilika – Zimbabwe Music Awards, ZIMA
2018 Art Recognition – Matabeleland Entertainment in South Africa
Madlela is currently a brand ambassador for Global Water Drillers and Ekhaya Takeaways. Previously he was the NetOne and Oasis Hardware shop brand ambassador.
Skhobokhobo has released three (3) albums with ten (10) tracks each, these albums are iDlozi lolaka, Majazana and Ntikoloshi. He has released the following singles,
Ama-International feat Noluntu J, Blue rose, Basotho and Mjox
Ama Yellow
Celebrate feat Themba Boyoyo Mathe
EmaSurbabzin feat Hwabaraty, Away and Bajilla
Umona feat Siza Mdlongwa, Mcheznana, Bluerose and Basotho
Madlela is featured in Martin Sibanda song called Bayadideka and Thembisile track by Zhezhingtons.
Madlela has worked on a drama project, Madlela 1, 2 and 3 and a Madlela series that played on Zimbabwe Television (ZTV). He has also done short movies that played on Mzansi Bioscope, Silence and Bafo My Blood.
All his projects are released under his recording and publishing entity known as Shilolo Media House where Skhosana, Blue Rose and BaSotho are artists who are signed under his record label.
Commenting on the Ama International video, Dlelas demonstrates his passion in supporting emerging artists who need more publicity for their works as he dedicates this project to all upcoming artists, not only those he featured but anyone who wishes to excel in their area of creativity. “Basically I did not do this track for myself, people know my music lendlela engihamba ngayo, this one is mainly for young people, those I am trying to introduce into the music industry, of course people know Mjox and uNoluntu laye uyangena kancane kancane and I had to give her a boost ukuthi abantu abangilandelayo bakwazi to recognize her, I have also introduced Blue Rose who has 2 tracks so far and we are saying isizwe asimbheke nangu uBasotho laye uyangena”
He is, no doubt, our Matabeleland regional creative ambassador, a philanthropist. He is one of our reigning creatives from our beautiful region, making waves locally and internationally with his incredible artistic feel.
Madlela speaks fondly about Matabeleland where there is so much talent, commitment and high level of dedication by artists to shine in the arts and entertainment sector for the world to appreciate and avail creative opportunities for growth and development.
“We have the best, we are globetrotting, we fill up auditoriums, we pull and thrill crowds, we are international, we are there with the best, I urge the world to take a look at us, I have done this track to give our upcoming artists a boost to activate the talent they already have”, says Dlelas.
Skhobokhobo is one of the artists who have managed to professionalise their art and view it as a business when he explains that his works are not free of charge as he depends on his art for sustenance. “At this stage I cant perform at a function where I will not be rewarded financially for my work, that will be a waste of time, worthless, I cannot do that because ngisemsebenzini and this is how I survive, this is how I feed my kids. Any event that comes my way must have a financial value”.
Dlelas provides a detailed analysis of the arts industry in Zimbabwe which he describes as one of the less recognised sectors as evidenced by limited resources channelled to support creatives involved in different forms of art. “The art industry in Zimbabwe needs financial injection and platforms that are going to pay us. If I produce a series and take it to a television station I must be paid in such a way that will change my life and everyone else involved in the production of such a project. The government needs to pump in money kuboZBC so that when they employ us they are able to pay us. What we need is just financial injection. We also call for the private sector to invest in the arts industry ngoba I believe that akekho umuntu ilanga eliphuma lize litshone engalalelanga ingoma, siyahlabelela emini abantu bahambe bekholisa ezomculo, ntambama befika ezindlini bayavula ama television, yithi lapho njalo acting kuma screens enu, this shows how important this sector is”.
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