"5 Minutes with Nduna Q Silace"
Nduna? Who is Nduna?……This is the most popular question
asked by people when they hear the sweet melodies and mature message often churned
out by now popular Zimdancehall artist. Born "Qinisela Mhlanga", and popularly
known as"Nduna Q Silace" by his legion of fans, he has composed several hit
songs that have seen plenty of airtime on various online radio stations, with
also a dedicated channel on YouTube (Kev5007). His most popular song- "Kana Ndinewe" has been an anthem at most
parties, weddings, gochi gochi (BBQs), and in night clubs.
This 27 year old, known to be humble and down to earth, was
born in Nkayi (Matebeleland) and grew up at Gwebi College. Born
in a family of 4 siblings but sadly his only sister passed away in 2010. He
attended school at Gwebi primary and later went to Nyavira Secondary. He is a
loving husband and a proud father of one
According to Nduna, he never foresaw himself being a
dancehall artist but he knew he was lyrically gifted with a rhyming talent that
can only leave one in total awe as heard in his song-"Handina Reverse Dhiri". His
first inspirational source was Alexio Kawara, Glen Washington, but it was Freeman
who inspired him to venture into the Zimdancehall fraternity when they met at
Nhubu Studios where they recorded 5 tracks together-“Ndangariro”, “Pane vaye, vaye”, “Runokwana”, “Handichakuda”, “Ndagutsikana”.
So, I had to ask him , why the name NDUNA?, as this is not a
name most artists would prefer and he explains in his childhood neighbourhood
where he grew up, people used to refer to his family as Nduna’s, which
translates to "Chief or King" in Ndebele, someone who is honoured, respected and
cherished. Most people who have listened to his music would probably recognize the distinct ‘Silaciaah’ at
the beginning of most of his and asked the meaning of it, the laid back singer
explains it’s meant to identify his style, similar to "Winky D" saying Kamaan, as he chuckles.
With a voice often referred to as melodically soft, Nduna’s
passion is love and unity which is evident in most of his songs. Some of his
songs refer to fairness in the country (Ghetto RYTS and Mr Minister) although
he reiterates its not politically motivated but just expressing the
difficulties the upcoming generations face day to day.
His love songs have all
ages mesmerised with his diverse and mature lyrics and the singer explains ,“I
get inspirations from day to day observations and experience”. The song-‘Kana Ndinewe’ hit the airwaves religiously
but according to Nduna, the one song he penned with all his heart was ‘Letter to Wadza’ which the artist describes
he used more than 200 words to express how he felt at that time. He explains “It
is evident when you listen to the song; it is one of the few songs I have written
with no chorus but continued expression of my feelings”.
When asked what should someone expect to hear when they
listen to your music, he states that like most artists, he hopes his music is
deemed constructive, yet entertaining at the same time, “Most marriages are
falling apart and I hope when someone listens to my songs, it will take them
back to when they first met or my music will remind them how blessed they are
to be in each other’s lives”.
Future prospects?, Nduna acknowledges that Zimdancehall industry is currently flooded
with upcoming artists who have a plethora of talent, all hoping to have that
one hit single, but he hopes in the next coming years, his music will continue
to be a distinct brand which reflects maturity and constructive lyrics to the
audience.
The artist acknowledges he has worked with a lot of people
who have been a stepping platform in his career, including Nhubu Digital, Levels,
Tman, Samba Bee, Oblic, Dollargetta, Fidel, Tevin, Cashlibs, Kingvibes .And he gives
special thanks to Dj Sparks who supported him with local distribution and his International Manager Kev Maf.
As a big fan of Nduna myself it brings me great pleasure to have moments like these. Again the future of our Zimdancehall continues to shine brighter by the day. That always puts a smile on my face on a regular basis. Lets continue to support our Local Talent as they are the future of our Music Industry.
