Four of the Eastern Cape's best poets writing in isiXhosa – Simphiwe Nolutshungu, Ayanda Billie, Mangaliso Buzani and Mxolisi Nyezwa – will be reading their work at NELM Eastern Star Gallery on Friday hosted by the National English Literary Museum (NELM) and Rhodes MA in Creative Writing (MACW).
Four of the Eastern Cape's best poets writing in isiXhosa – Simphiwe Nolutshungu, Ayanda Billie, Mangaliso Buzani and Mxolisi Nyezwa – will be reading their work at NELM Eastern Star Gallery on Friday hosted by the National English Literary Museum (NELM) and Rhodes MA in Creative Writing (MACW).
Modern written poetry in isiXhosa for a long time was bound by the depleted language and structures of traditional forms, with content that extols isiXhosa culture — communion with the world of the spirits or ancestors (throbbing drums, flowing rivers, spirit dances, incantations to accompany libations).
In recent years, though, this has this begun to change, with the emergence of confrontational and free-spirited poets who have widened the scope of isiXhosa literature.
These four Eastern Cape poets represent new directions for isiXhosa poetry which includes the use of urban isiXhosa, the lyrics and rhythms of maskandi and jazz, the influence of poetry from other languages such as English and Spanish.
All are connected to the Rhodes MA course in Creative Writing – three as graduates and one (Nyezwa) as a teacher in the MA course. Each poet will also read a small number of their English poems.
Simphiwe Nolutshungu, from Queenstown, is the author of four published books: three novels in isiXhosa – Amathunzi Ezolo (1996), Induli yexhala (2000), Iingceba zegazi (2012) — and a book of English poems, Nolutshungu Avenue (2013).
His Xhosa novels have been prescribed in schools in both the Western Cape and Eastern Cape education departments.
Ayanda Billie works as a quality inspector in the motor industry in Uitenhage.
His first book of poems was Avenues Of My Soul (2006). He is influenced by the haunting voices of South African poets like Ingoapele Mandigoane and Mafika Gwala, European poets like Lorca and Pessoa , and jazz music, particularly Zim Ngqawana .
His isiXhosa poems record the chilling hours of the modern worker on the factory floor. Mangaliso Buzani’s first collection of isiXhosa poems, Ndisabhala Imibongo (2014), takes the isiXhosa language to a deeper level of silence and dreams, far away from the noise of man’s language.
The reader arrives in a place not without suffering, but aligned to the infallibilty of truth rather than to the narrated fiction of headline news.
Buzani lives in New Brighton where he is a writer and book layout designer.
Mxolisi Nyezwa from New Brighton is the author of three books of poems in English: Song Trials (2000), New Country (2008) and Malikhanye (2011).
His work has appeared in numerous anthologies and websites in South Africa, Europe and the USA.
He edits the bilingual journal Kotaz which has been publishing literature in English and Xhosa for 15 years.
IsiXhosa
Nyezwa’s isiXhosa poems are influenced by Maskandi music, by the soul music of Marvin Gaye, and by poets such as Cesar Vallejo and Mafika Gwala.
Imibongo yesiXhosa isephantsi koxinzelelo olungagungqiyo lwamasiko, izithethe, neenkolelo ezithile zesiNtu.
Umxholo owondeleleyo kule mibongo ucacisa ukubaluleka konqulo lweenkosi nezinyanya.
Iimbongi zibonga imilambo nesandi samanzi abaleka kwimifula.
Zikhankanya ukubaluleka kweenkomo namasimi, imbali yesizwe, iinkwenkwezi ezithile, iintaba, namaxesha onyaka.
Imbongi igqamisa ukucikizwa kwendoda yomXhosa nokukhalipha kwayo.
Phantse konke okushunyayezwa kule mibongo kuf’ amanqe kumntu ophaphileyo.
Umzekelo: asivi nto ngamaxhego adlwengula iintsana, namadoda axhaphaza amakhosikazi.
Asifundiswa nto ngoxanduva oluthwalwa ngabafazi neentombi ekukhuliseni abantwana.
Oku kunyathelwa phantsi kwenyani ngonyawo ziimbongi zesiXhosa kubangela ukufiphala kuncwadi lwesiXhosa.
Kutsha-nje kude kwavela iimbongi ezibhala ngohlobo olwahlukileyo kunangaphambili, iimbongi ezithetha ngezwi nesingqi esiwuvuselelayo umbongo.
USimphiwo Nolutshungu, Ayanda Billie, Mangaliso Buzani, noMxolisi Nyezwa babhala imibongo yabo ngosiba olungaqhelekanga, beqhutywa luthando lwabo lomculo womngqungqo.
Ulwazi lwabo lomsebenzi wezinye iimbongi zomhlaba eziphuma kumazwe afana neSpain neNgilane kuphembelela umsebenzi onesingqi, novakalelo olothusayo kubhalo lwemibongo yesiXhosa.
Ezi mbongi zone ziyamene nomzi wobhalo-buciko weYunivesithi iRhodes, MA Course in Creative Writing, umnumzana uNyezwa engumhlohli kweli candelo, kanti oogxa bakhe abathathu bona ingabafundi abaphumelela esi sidanga emagqabini.
USimphiwe Nolutshungu, oyinzalelwane yaseKomani, ngumbhali wezi ncwadi zine, Amathunzi Ezolo (1996), Induli yexhala (2000), Iingceba zegazi (2012), Nolutshungu Avenue (2013). Iincwadi zakhe zesiXhosa zifundwa kwizikolo eMpuma Koloni naseNtshona Koloni.
UAyanda Billie ngumsebenzi kumzi weenqwelo-mafutha eTinarha.
Ushicilele incwadi ethi Avenues of my Soul (2006).
Ifuthe lakhe lokubhala likhuthazwe ngababhali abafana noIngoapele Madingoane, Mafika Gwala, Lorca noPessoa.
Ukanti umculo kaZim Ngqawana ube negalelo elikhulu kwisimbo sakhe sokubhala.
UMangaliso Buzani ushicilele incwadi ethi Ndisabhala Imibongo (2014).
Imibongo yakhe yesiXhosa ithetha ngephupha loxolo nokuthula kwintlalo yabantu, iingcingane zenkululeko kwintlupheko.
UBuzani okwangumzobi nombumbi ophambili weencwadi uphuma eNew Brighton.
UMxolisi Nyezwa uzalelwe eNew Brighton.
Ngumbhali wezi ncwadi zemibongo, Song Trials (2000), New Country (2008), Malikhanye (2011).
Imibongo yakhe ishicilelwe kumazwe afana neNgilane, iMelika naseMzantsi Afrika.
Ngumhleli we-Kotaz. Ifuthe lemibongo ayibhalayo liphenjelelwa ziimvumi ezahlukeneyo zikaMaskandi, kwaneengoma zikaMarvin Gaye.
Ababhali abafana noCesar Vallejo noMafika Gwala badlale indima enkulu ekukhuliseni isiphiwo sakhe sokubhala.
Don't miss this rare chance to hear these four superb poets in once place. NELM Eastern Star Anglo African Street Grahamstown, 5.30pm, Friday 5 June.
