Mojankgo: A way of Life
I sit in a coffee shop listening to Jabu’s soft voice. Jabu is a musician
whom I was lucky to meet through a good friend. Jabu is telling me his story,
his pilgrimage to help others through music. I listen carefully, trying to keep
up, quickly scribbling notes on paper. I am trying to save my questions for the
end as I do not want to interrupt his narration. All I want is to capture the
true meaning of his words. This is his story.
During the Apartheid
era in South Africa (1948-1994) four racial groups were created: white, native
or black, coloured and Indian. Non-white individuals were forced to move out of
“white-only” designated areas, even if it had been their homeland for
generations. All non-whites were resettled into new areas called Townships,
where they were separated once again by race. Mixed families were separated and
sent to live in different townships, able to reunite on only upon issuance of a
police permit every three months, for merely three hours. The neighborhoods
within the townships were, yet again, subdivided by tribe; total separation. These
Townships were created far enough from white only populated areas so people did
not mix, but close enough to have cheap labor nearby.
Jabu was born during
this difficult time in Mamelodi, a township on the outskirts of Pretoria. As
everyone else during those dark times, he could not have a fully African name.
A “white” name of the public employee’s choosing had to be added to his name.
Today, his I.D. card reads Jabulani Happyboy Masilela.
The Township where he
grew up lacked infrastructure, schools, or even activities for the children.
But Jabu was captivated by music. Jabu’s father used to sing his sorrows away,
inspiring his son to love music from a very early age. When he was ten years old, he joined a church-based
brass band where he started to sing.
At the age of 17, he
received a special gift from his father: a small keyboard where he practiced
over and over again, “Shine like a Star” by Randy Crowford. He too, wanted to
shine like a star. But the keyboard was not his strong suit. After been mocked
by his fellow musicians, he decided to give it up and stick to what he knew
well, singing. To him, it really did not matter as long as music was a part of
his life, because music was his life. For him, it represented an escape from
the harsh realities surrounding him. A safe place to hold a dream, a dream of a
better world for himself and for others.
In the 90’s, Jabu
joined the Mamelodi Music Promotion, an organization that helped young and
upcoming musicians and started his first serious band. His thirst for music was insatiable: he
listened to all genres and tried to play them all, too. But he was greatly inspired
by religious music as he is a very spiritual person. He listened to gospel bands like Joyous Celebration or Israel. He listened to the great Miriam Makeba, Apartheid fighter and
glorious jazz singer. He listened to Bob Marley and his redemption songs.
But mostly he listened to the little voice in his heart that told him he could
make a difference in the harsh world in which he lived.
“Apartheid was designed to erase some of the brilliant
ideas of the black man such as how to manage resources and land, taking what is
needed for survival only, without desire for accumulation. Apartheid imposed a
system foreign to native inhabitants, condemning them to live forever in debt.
Also, it isolated people from reality. Separated, unable to see the other side
of life, powerless, without having a say or the ability to make any changes in
their own lives.”
Even though the
Apartheid was officially over in 1994, most non-white people had to remain in
their Townships as they could not afford to live in the white areas. During and
after Apartheid, informal settlements grew up around all theTownships. Those informal
settlements are composed mainly by shacks built out of construction scraps.
They lack official connections to electricity, water or even sewage. In those
areas, confusion reigns. Extreme poverty is accompanied by the usual suspects
running the streets of these communities: drugs, alcoholism, illiteracy, rape,
desperation. And to top it all, the worst of feelings never leaves the air, the
feeling that there is no hope.
And that is how
Mojankgo got started.
Mojankgo means Water
Gourd in Sotho. Jabu was given this nickname by his friends, as he helped calm
the emotional thirst of many through his music. But the meaning of Mojankgo has
expanded far beyond the nickname. Mojankgo is the name of his music and his
band. Mojankgo is also a way of life, a new philosophy developed to help hope
reach across settlements in the Townships; a philosophy designed to inspire
people around him.
“The message is, it does not matter who you are or where you come from.
Together, if we join our strengths, we can all make it. By creating a community
around us that supports us all. A community that allows us to grow together and
overcome our problems. Together we need to bring back hope into our lives. “
Jabu’s compositions
are pure African sound. His lyrics are written in different African languages,
sometimes Zulu, sometimes Sotho, or Xhosa. His words are simple and directed straight to
the heart. His music is all about what is happening around him. Jabu tries to
spontaneously tap into the energy that is generated by believing that dreams
can come true. His music acts as a catalyst of change, his lyrics attempt to
inspire others.
“Being a self-thought musician in South Africa, I
learned perseverance, dedication and diligence. These are the tools that will
allow you to take the next step, to help you climb that steep ladder of life.”
Mojankgo offers
concerts in Townships. They also play at private events to help support
themselves. These are difficult economic times for musicians, especially here. Although
things are changing in South Africa, Jabu feels it is easier to be successful
outside of South Africa where racial tensions are still a daily issue. But it is here where his community needs his
help. Jabu is part of many initiatives within his community and collaborates
with several non-profits operating in Mamelodi. Because of his work, he has
been invited several times to lecture at the Derby College in the UK, where he
assisted developing the initiative “Bright in the Corner”[i]. His lectures are about how to teach others
self-respect through music. To help them “Get up, stand up, stand up for their
rights” as the great Marley once said. He has also performed in several
concerts abroad.
Jabu does not measure
his success by CD’s sold by his band, Mojankgo. He measures success by the
positive changes he is able to affect in his community by the legacy he hopes
to leave one day his daughter and the
generations to come: A better world for us all.
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