We are one people, says Bobodi

Tshilidzi Bobodi from Nzhelele had a vision of teaching music skills to the Venda-speaking people across the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe and ultimately helping them get the exposure they need to start careers in music. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic and lockdown that followed prevented him from doing this. Now, at last, he can continue to work towards reaching his goal again.

Bobodi (39), who is into arts administration, grew up with a deep love of music. He decided to follow in the footsteps of his late uncle, who was a very skilled musician too. “I was only 11 when my passion for music started. I was visiting my uncle, who was a band leader. I learned to play musical instruments and really developed a love for music and the whole arts industry,” he said.

After school, Bobodi moved to Johannesburg to study music at the Fuba School of Dramatic & Visual Arts. He later moved on to the Central Johannesburg College’s Popular Music Department, where he continued his studies in music for two more years before he also studied sound engineering.

During his time in college, Bobodi rubbed shoulders with a few well-established musicians, such as Ntando Bongani, RJ Benjamin and others, who he says had shaped him well for this industry.

In 2018 and 2019, he started organising different kinds of events and entertainment at the Mphephu Resort, as well as in Musina, and this is mainly what he does with his time these days.

Before the outbreak of Covid-19, Bobodi often travelled to Zimbabwe, where he interacted with the Venda-speaking people in villages around Beitbridge. “I realised that there are many musically talented people there with no platform to help them build their music careers. My aim now is to establish such a platform for them, where they can first develop their music skills and then get the exposure they need to get their music careers going. I will start with the Venda people in Beitbridge, but my aim is to spread this idea throughout Zimbabwe. I want the world to realise that the Venda-speaking people in South Africa and those in Beitbridge are one family,” he said.

Date:10 September 2022

By: Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

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