I founded Ndolwane Super Sounds - Madalaboy

Ace Ndebele - Kalanga Rhumba star Madalaboy claims to have been the founder of the hotly contested Ndolwane Super Sounds brand.

Born Honest Kamanga by a father of Malawi decency and a Kalanga mother, Madalaboy as he is popularly known in the music cycles, Kamanga says he was the brains behind the formation of the music group way back in 1993. Madalaboy's music dream started as early as 1986 when he was a young boy growing up in the Ndolwane area of Plumtree in Matabeleland South.

His music exploits were first exposed at a tender age when he was the lead musician at Makhulela Primary School in his mother's home area. His love for music would not die until 1993 when he got his first job in Johannesburg South Africa where he saved money and bought his first set of musical instruments which gave birth to the now renowned Ndolwane Super Sounds.

On buying the musical instruments he teamed up with his home boys Abson Bhule, Charles Ndebele and Develet Moyo from neighbouring Kungubo village to make up the founding quartet of Ndolwane Super Sounds. The band took to the informal music scene by storm touring villages around Plumtree area on frequent visits from Johannesburg raising funds for its first recording.

On the verge of the band recording it's first album, Madalaboy lost confidence with his fellow band members on how to proceed in pursuing the dream that he had about the group. This led to him leaving the group making the great trek back to Plumtree to start another group which he called the Shining Fellows.

Asked why he would quit a band he had started himself and leave the name and everything, the soft spoken musician said that he did not want to disturb the group on the verge of recording their first album and the name had grown synonymous with the group than the individual members.

After leaving Ndolwane Super Sounds, Madalaboy recorded his first album  "Umona" with his new group the Shining Fellows in 1997. The group featured Joseph Silwane Sibindi on drums with Nicholas Ndlovu and Jabulani "Maxheguza" Maseko joining Madalaboy on guitars and vocals.

Since parting ways with Ndolwane Super Sounds, Madalaboy has recorded a total of 19 albums with his group the Shining Fellows and other artists who include Chase Skuza and Allen Ndoda. He has also been around the country, Botswana and South Africa dishing out live shows that are always a sale out as fans can't resist his unique rhumba rhythm.

On who then really has the right to use the Ndolwane Super Sounds name he created between Charles Ndebele and Martin Sibanda, Madalaboy was not kind to Martin Sibanda. The principled rhumba legend says that Charles Ndebele was better positioned to have his group remain as Ndolwane Super Sounds.

"Charles was there when we started the group and he has all the right to remain associated with the group name," he said. "Martin joined the group a little later and did very well for the group being lead vocalist and composing some songs and may incidentally feel that he did a lot to warrant him the name of the group but he could have done what he we did and made his own name separately," he added.

Madalabo's main sponsor Acts Aota castigated the escalating wave of  music piracy saying that it was killing the musicians as they were not benefiting from their talent.

"Piracy is a huge cancer in the music industry," said Aota. "Loyal fans must continue to find ways of supporting their loved artists by buying original CDs."

Madalaboy urged the up coming young musicians to remain focused in their music and never give up as it is always very difficult in the beginning.