“Fellow musicians are the stumbling blocks” - Abby

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Abby Mamphogoro, a 28-year-old gospel singer from Mphephu, says young musicians have always tried their best to make a mark in the music industry, but have found stumbling blocks in the form of greedy fellow-musicians and music industry practitioners.

“These people refuse to acknowledge new talent for fear of competition,” he said.

Abby's debut offer is titled Jesus exaltation. The album comprises 10 songs and a beautifully designed lyrics booklet, which is complemented with the artist's glossy portraits. “I started singing at home as a nine-year-old boy,” he said. “For the past few years I was drumming full time. In 2006, I contributed to Worship House Project 3 and Armed 4 Harvest as a drummer.”

He had also sung with the oldest group in Vhembe, Echo, before going solo. He acknowledges that he had reaped a lot of experience while he sang with all these groups.

The artist says, however, that he had to deal with the fact that there would always be fellow-musicians and music organisers who either ignored his presence in the music arena or pushed him off as if he did not exist. “They treat you like someone without experience, while they surely know your capabilities because you have been working with them all along,” he laments. “They do not even book you for a performance when there are music shows or festivals. But your fans, people who buy your music, will always believe in you because they know the quality of your music is undeniable.”

Abby continues to mesmerise music lovers with his strong, velvety voice when he sings lyrics full of charisma. On track 10, Ha Modimo ale teng, he featured Mutendas, and King of Rumba Zozo of Zozo and Sengere Super Beat. The song advises the listener to put all trust and faith in God in times of troubles and problems.

He sees music as a form of expression which begins from deep within the heart. “This is the only form of communication which one cannot ignore,” he says. “To confirm that, during the struggle against apartheid, people were chanting and singing, so that the message would be conveyed without any barrier.”

As a nine-year-old boy, Abby accompanied his highly talented musician uncle Emmanuel Mamphogoro whenever he travelled across the country to perform his music to thousands of fans. “People must expect God`s resolutions to everyday problems,” he said. “I believe that music can become everyone's prayer based on day-to-day challenges that we encounter, and at the end we turn to God for resolutions.”

Abby is currently a labour inspector at the Department of Labour and is pursuing his post-graduate degree at the moment. “I have a B Tech degree in human resource management, but I feel that I still need to learn more for me to serve my country appropriately.”

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.