This evening Ndaba Sibanda will introduce us to the Cool Crooners of Bulawayo, a jazz band from Zimbabwe. This poem is also part of the 1940s contest. The band is depicted above.
Unwinding With The Cool Crooners Of Bulawayo
One lazy afternoon I listened to a light track,
It cruised into my ears and heart and crooned
Its way down my spine and vibrated my legs
Till they made some calculated cool swings.
The radio personality intercepted
The mellifluousness of it and said,
“Welcome, welcome to the music
And the magic of the Cool Crooners”.
The Cool Crooners were formed in 1998
By longtime friends -Abel, Lucky and Ben;
In 2001 their album -Blue Sky-about a South African jail
‘Inside of which one only sees the blue sky’-- cooled ears.
Their melodies are mesmerizing and soothing,
They mix African rhythms with western music;
They blend SiNdebele, SiZulu and KiSwahili --
Wowing the audiences with their classy voices.
Foot-tapping their way into international stardom,
Sweet smart men in suits, singing Bulugwe Lami,
(The fate of ‘my’ tattered trousers haye haye!)
These young old boys` laid back music is cool!
Glossary
Bulugwe Lami is SiNdebele for “My pair of trousers”
Haye haye! means “hey hey!”
----------------------------------
The Depth Of Tenderness
The music flew furiously
at times tickling her
massaging her
dragging her
sailing away
with her mind
into its own
little lake
of the 1940s
into its tempo
of tenderness
and wildness
Sinking deep into
her inner self
as if to gauge
the depth
of her love
for it with
a pretty
poking
prod
it rang
in her ears
tearing them apart
it ravaged through
her heart--
ripping it open
Her eyes were bright
signifying the music`s light
those were loving eyes
filled with dreamy tears
streaming and screaming
across the smoothness
of her cheeks and neck
------------------------------
The Dance Of Love
In all the noises that bombard one`s life there is music to savour—
If only one could keep out the uproar and roar into the harmonies.
That music needs to be identified, acknowledged and appreciated--
The uproar has to be minimized if it cannot be eradicated.
I will dance to the beat of the music I hear--
The noises will not drown me in their mess.
The rays of the sun will enliven the floor –
The blessings will radiate too.
---------------------------------------
Dancing Couple
Once through with their marriage vows, they shone like stars,
Their dance looked simple yet it was sophisticated,
It was a sight to behold. The decor was fantastic,
The onlookers reveled in the activities of the day.
They waltzed into the hearts of many people,
Wearing wonderful traditional regalia,
They sang and leapt into the past
And future in style
Bio
Ndaba`s work is featured in the voluminous Van Gogh Anthology edited by Catfish McDaris and Dr. Marc Pietrzykowski. His other work of art is found in the forthcoming book titled Eternal Snow, A Worldwide Anthology of One Hundred Poetic Intersections with Himalayan Poet Yuyutsu RD Sharma scheduled for publication in Spring/Summer 2017 by Nirala Press.
Ndaba did not mention his recent book Football of Fools: https://www.amazon.com/Football-Fools-Ndaba-Sibanda/dp/9352074521 This is not the only book he has published this year. The Dead Must Be Sobbing is a novel: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-must-be-Sobbing/dp/9352075803/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501450208&sr=1-6
Here is a link to "Bulugwe Lami," the song that Ndaba mentions in his poem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mw4HasGhb4
"Blue Sky" is the title cut of their 2001 album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXCfjk_x4OI
"Cell Phone" is about a man talking to the woman he wants to marry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKZkFOLxGYs
You might want to see the Cool Crooners live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8Nfxeap4Rc
I'll finish with their "I Van Enkulu": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hca4x51lzY
Enjoy!
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