Allen Ndoda back home after 20 years in exile

WHILE a contingent of Zimbabwean artists fancy going to South Africa to ply their music trade, Allen Ndoda has chosen to come back to his home in Bulawayo after having spent 20 years across the Limpopo.

The iconic rhumba artist who hails from Makhulela in Plumtree said he had been quiet about his decision to return home as he wanted to study the local music playing field nicodemously.

The Challengers band front man whose popularity had grown tremendously in South Africa, especially in Hillbrow said home was best. As he is part of the old guard of artistes, Ndoda said he wanted to restore the seemingly dying fast paced rhumba genre.

"I'd been away for too long and realised I needed to do some serious projects here. I noticed that travelling to and from my usual base (SA) was not ideal hence my decision to finally settle here in Bulawayo," Ndoda said.

"Bulawayo and Zimbabwe at large needs me to revitalise our genre so that the up-and-coming artistes doing my particular type of music can be easily nurtured into becoming household names."

He, however, said he was not shunning the SA fans as he will still perform for them from time to time.

While Ndoda could not be drawn into disclosing when exactly he returned home, indications are that by late last year, he was in Bulawayo.

With 25 albums under his belt, the talented musician said he already has a lot of gigs lined up in places such as Maphisa, Gwanda and Beitbridge, just to mention a few.

Having entered the music scene in 1996, Ndoda's music is played on most radio stations in Zimbabwe and in SA on Phalaphala FM. He has shared the stage with Ndux Junior, Ndolwane Super Sounds, Gift Amuli and recently Alick Macheso.

Also to his credit is his grooming of Mxolisi Mr Bones, Tjabhuda Lee and Vivian Nkiwane among many other Zimbabwean artists based in South Africa.