Artistes mourn Joe Maseko

The Executive Producer of Rising Sounds Studio Joe Maseko has passed on. He is remembered as one of the unsung heroes who positively shaped the music Industry in Southern Africa.

Artistes from diverse disciplines  have poured out their condolence messages remembering the late music guru.

Executive Director of Nkulumane based Victory Siyanqoba Trust Desire Moyo said, "Victory Siyanqoba started working with Joe this in 2017. Joe s touch is there in Rachel (19) main song .  Cash Talk Joe has always been a humble, down to earth music fundi . There is no reason to mourn such a fine specimen of humanity whose finger prints are indelible in the local and international music circles. No, that will be utter disrespect.

"WE CELEBRATE JOE. He is a Heavenly material who never held back his God given talent to change lives. Once again, further to my app status, The Face of music will never be the same again. We might mourn the music not Joe."

Jabulani Hadebe who is the Founder of Velliworld, a music promotion company said, "Joe Maseko was a producer par excellence. He was the producer for Culture Spears, and various other renowned musicians, oBlack uMfolosi. He produced songs for my philanthropic work in Nkayi under the Nkayi Development Initiative. Above all, he was a brother, a colleague and a friend to me. I was with him 3 weeks ago and I am very saddened by the news concerning his passing away."

The late 41-year-old Bulawayo-born music producer, sound engineer and former executive director of House of Rising Sounds Studio in Gwabalanda  was in the music industry for  over 16 years but his name did  not command respect in his own country.

While that did not sit well with him, Maseko was  proud that his productions were well- accepted in Botswana after he worked with the award-winning group, Culture Spears.

In his last  interview with Sunday Leisure, Maseko said that he had produced and engineered albums for Mantshwabisi and Culture Spears,  music groups in Botswana.

"In 2003 I engineered and produced an album for Mantshwabisi. This album persuaded Culture Spears to want to record with me. In 2004, I then received Culture Spears members in my home after they had been referred to me by Mantshwabisi. We worked together until we recorded their debut six-track album called Korone in 2005 that toured to neighbouring countries."

"The success of the album Korone saw Maseko recording Culture Spears' best ever album Kulenyane that was followed by equally good Khudu and Chika.
 
"I have since recorded seven albums with Culture Spears and these albums have seen the group touring the region and some parts of Europe. These include the popular Kulenyana and Khudu. These recordings got me a presidential certificate of honour from the President of Botswana Ian Khama. As a result, the album stands as my best ever in my career,"  Maseko said then.

Maseko even helped the group to establish a state-of-the-art music studio.

"Besides Culture Spears, Maseko  produced for Isaac Maleyi and Maxy in Botswana and Mkhaya, a Zimbabwean group based in South Africa. Maseko did not abandon his home studio as he has produced for local artistes.

"I am still producing for artistes and groups here and at the moment I am recording with choral groups. I can say that I am teacher as I also informally train and teach the youth how to produce and engineer music. I also want to bring in girls that are interested in music," the late Maseko  said.

Many artistes have passed through the hands of the late legendary Maseko. The likes of Sandra Ndebele cut their teeth there as he recorded her first album Tshaya Tshaya and Mama. He also worked with Iyasa on the song Lapha Kwami Kuyahlaba, and even helped muster Jeys Marabini s first album, not forgetting the late Beatar Mangethe's album I come from Makokoba.

Maseko  also worked with Black Umfolosi, Ishe John Gara, Velaphi Gumbo and Obadiah Mathulana. Despite assisting many successful artistes, Maseko believes that he is not appreciated at home.

When Maseko was not in the studio, he liked to have peace and quietness and likes traveling to Victoria Falls and playing basketball.