by Noah Pomo
Music legend Yvonne Chaka Chaka addressed the Jacaranda Music Festival symposium on Wednesday, 4 October 2023, in Harare. It was sponsored by Stanbic bank. Her perspectives were broad.
“For 17 years I have been working with Unicef. Unicef approached me. I don’t earn a cent. It was me in return giving of myself. When I realized that Malaria was preventable and curable I wanted to give malaria a face and a voice. When you are given a platform give of your platform. That’s how I met Bill Gates and he funded Princess of Africa for 4 years. Give the artists a chance and don’t exploit them. Please don’t abuse these young girls. Let them be there because of merit. Don’t force yourself on girls. No promoter can point at me and say; ‘That was my chick’ No! I am my husband’s chick.”
If the word “Legend” is often thrown about loosely then so is the word “Masterclass.” Yvonne Chaka Chaka has been in the music business since the mid-1980s.
Speaking extemporaneously (with no visible notes) the oratory Chaka Chaka had the audience eating from her hand. She began with a shona greeting and said: “My name is Yvonne. Ama 2000 probably don’t know me. I am 58 years old and I look good.” She was sporting the same hairstyle she popularized in her image in the mid-1980s with a line on the left side of her head patting her hair this side and that.
“As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador I travel the world and I see children die before they are 2 years old. 38 years ago, I was 19, and ready to study law. My mother wanted that for me. I wanted to be a chartered accountant. I am self-sufficient.”
“My first trip to perform as a 20-year old was to Zimbabwe.” She was suffering from jet-lag. “The people of Zimbabwe embraced me leading to me being embraced beyond Zimbabwe and South Africa and for that I want to say: ‘Tatenda. Thank you.’
Talking to the Sowetanlive Chaka Chaka once reminisced: “I was quite the nervous flyer who squirmed in her seat. Landing in Harare, I’d never seen a beautiful place like that. I stayed at Meikles, which has remained my favourite hotel after all these years.” Not bad for a 21 year old Soweto girl.
“There was no social media. But music just went on. How? I don’t know. Music evolves and music just spreads. I have sung for 100,000 people in Nigeria and Kenya and they interpreted “Umqomboti” in their own language. We didn’t understand Tuku in “Todii” but we sang along. So that is music for you.”
Chaka Chaka made her name while South Africa in the tail end of the apartheid government. Songs like “Umqombothi,” “Thank you Mr DJ,” “Let Him Go,” “I am in love with Mr DJ,” “I am burning up” and many others resonated beyond South Africa, while Mandela was still behind bars. I know a relative who would give me prolonged silent treatment if I leave out “From me to you.” The list above actually starts with “Umqombothi” the filler chosen at the last minute to complete the album, which assumed a life of its own with little promotion from the record label.
South Africa is known for it’s traditional dress sense and love for well enunciated female vocals and even four part harmony. Just how much is this reputation a silent salute to ladies like Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Miriam Makeba and Dorothy Masuku? The average shelf-life of Chaka Chaka’s songs by far exceeded the generous 3 months a decent artists gets now, in the best case.
The song “From me to you” was based on the true story of Mpo and Mponyana Mathibela the twins born conjoined in 1986 whose heads were separated in a novel complicated operation in 1988. The dedication notes read: “This album is dedicated to Sophie Mathibela, the mother of Mpho le Mphonyana, in honour of her supreme courage and total devotion to her two babies. All proceeds for the ‘Mpho le Mphonyana’ track will be donated to Sophie to help in the upbringing of the twins. This track was recorded solely for this purporse. We love you Mpho le Mphonyana.” – Yvonne and William.
Chaka Chaka’s peers included Brenda Fassie (and the Big Dudes), Producer and singer Sello Chico Twala, Pet Shange, PJ Powers, Johnny Clegg and Savuka, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ray Phiri and Sipho Hotstix Mabuse among many others.
Chaka Chaka spoke on her extensive diversification beyond music which has even led some to believe she retired from music. She became a UN Goodwill ambassador. She runs a charity called Princess of Africa.
Chico wrote or produced the music to songs like “I am in love with Mr DJ” with another producer and Hebert Chulu. It was produced by a record label but now Chaka Chaka feels their investment has paid off and she should be able to buy it and acquire the rights. The album was produced in 1985. Chaka Chaka was 19. She is 58 now, a life well-lived.
The pertinent question on “Umqombothi” to Madam Dhlamini asked for the latest offering of traditional beer. it went radio viral. That was 1987. She was backed by a choir dominated by male baritones. She had accompanied someone to the auditions. The white guy there asked her if she also could sing. “I didn’t see it coming.” She auditioned “let it be” by the Beatles and said: “Come back on Monday.” She was paid R20 for it. The original auditioning artist was not paid. In the studio she felt the music was written for her. “I am burning up” and other songs had already been written for her. On “The motherland,” Yvonne felt the need and yearning to contribute creatively. She advocated a greater voice for artists even when age old wisdom says: “He who pays the piper calls the tune.”
“Everything has gone digital. But I get lots of royalties from my Universal albums. When I came out with new music they promoted and backed the album. I paid producers, vocalists, videographers and so on. They suppressed my music when I would ask them to distribute my music. People thought I was not recording. But they would promote the older music. I made sure my music would not be released if I wasn’t earning. Piracy is stealing. CMO’s make sure that any pirated music is crushed. Do you want to be famous without any money?”
“Government must put proper money to protect our work (as artists). We are not the forgotten cousins.”
“I choose where I want to perform. I do corporate gigs. There was Pet Shange, Boom Shaka, Zahara and so on who are popular in Zimbabwe. But music changes. There are people who just want to see Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Oliver Mtukudzi. Tariro ne Gitare. We compete with DJs. Things are changing. I am not forgotten. I get paid for speaking and I started at Trinity College of London for it. I have been studying and in January I will register for an MBA. I seat on different boards and invest. Music keeps me going but I don’t depend on it. I can go without performing. My price is take it or leave it. With Covid many of us suffered.”
Yvonne Chaka Chaka mourned the death of her friends Oliver Mtukudzi and Hugh Masekela and referred to their collaboration “Tapera.” Organiser Tariro Chaniwa felt that Yvonne was ”fixing the country” a play on words highlighting challenges facing the industry in Zimbabwe from poor financing to piracy.
Chaka Chaka’s advice was to diversify and be bankable. We are hoping the next generation will do better and go further.”
She encouraged greater recognition for session musicians and backing vocalists for their services (to lead singers). This perspective is very interesting. 1980s South African music was universally loved for the clear vocals (both lead and backing), classic instrumental melodies and the bouncy bass guitars that also influenced the likes of David Mankaba (Bhundu Boys) and Don Gumbo (Ilanga) in Zimbabwe. The bass guitar has been given more prominence in modern South African music genre of Amapiano music which has gone global.
“Do you know what you are worth as an artist? I want to thank Stanbiic bank for what they have done. It becomes a huge problem for Creative industry people to get a loan for a house, maybe for a car that depreciates, but they say you don’t have regular salaries. We are pleading with corporate industry to come to the fore. You need to have a manager that has got your interests at heart. Some managers pocket the other half. My manager works for me. She will always consult me.”
“I have never had bodyguards because if people love you they will never hurt you. From Soweto I traveled to New York, Los Angeles. Jonathan Butler had left South Africa to go to USA. He introduced me to Whitney Houston in 1987. It was beautiful. I also met Miriam Makeba. We met Thomas Mapfumo and he was a big star. Polygram was a Zimbabwean company paying our royalties. Now we don’t get royalties. Zimura is inconsistent with payments. They should pay us every 6 months. It’s important to register and protect your compositions.”
“Streaming is very good but the money doesn’t stream back to the artists. 50,000 views gives you US$200. Youtube pays 0.006 cents. I speak on the importance of artificial intelligence and streaming to make sure artists receive their money. So Zimura pay artists after every 6 months. Music lovers have to pay for every play in a taxi, venue, restaurant or wherever. Zimura must sit on their neck to play. Do you want to be famous without paying? Paying for music is promoting music.”
“On “Umqomboti” I was just happy to be famous but I don’t own the song.” Contributing a riff (for 2 seconds) should be compensated for, argued Chaka Chaka.
Chaka Chaka argued for, and took to task, radio stations for not playing local music and argued that even when hiring a foreign musician they should at least also have local musicians performing.
Perhaps Chaka Chaka’s presence and authority could hardly be felt more. There are those people who when they walk into the room affect the room. It’s never the same room. The UN Goodwill Ambassador approaches a global citizen beyond Art. The same as Nelson Mandela. And she attracts the same moral authority and boldness.
Yvonne Chaka Chaka has a shona song “Kana Uchema” produced in 1987. It means “When you cry I feel your pain. She collaborated with Karen Zoid an Afrikaans Artist.
“To are Sound People: Young people in different countries are collaborating on social media. Promoters should push music but artists need to also work hard. Even after 38 years I still rehearse for performances. Even when the sound is bad just sing.”
“I urge radio stations in Zimbabwe to play Zimbabwean music. Charity begins at home. I have a radio station called Woman radio. I only play music mainstream channels don’t play. If you have a new album, I will play it because recording means you believe in it. We give artists an hour on radio. On mainstream radio you have to pay for interviews. Some reporters want us to pay for interviews. Artists be there when you are needed.”
Her “Princess of Africa foundation” honours backing artists and session musicians.
“I always honour 25 of these artists. We give then R25,000. Find the people that work with you and do not leave them behind. You are never there without your band. Are you going to be using the backtrack for the rest of your life?”
“We have had young musicians recording and being stripped of everything ‘if you leave us’ as the recording companies say. Walter Wanyanya practices what he preaches otherwise I would not be here. My latest offering is “Murume mukuru (Tapera)” from an Oliver Mtukudzi original. The contract was that we would all release it with Oliver and Hugh Masekela, the 2 important guys in my life.”
“It is important to know who is the artist, who is the publisher and what is my percentage.”
She encouraged retirement annuities for artists and copyright amendment bills for artists to serve their interests.
