By Fidelis Manyange.

A RECENT visit to the late Solomon Skuza’s home in Plumtree’s Ntoli area, about 70km from Plumtree town, provoked me to pen this piece on the need to honour our departed artistes. The ‘Love and Scandals’ and ‘Banolila’ hitmaker’s grave lies beside that of his equally talented young brother Khumbulani Moyo Skuza, who rose to stardom with his hit song, ‘Isantana’. The Tukuye Super Sounds frontman was the youngest of the Skuza siblings.

The two legends lie side by side, their graves encircled by a collapsed fence while their music is still making waves in homes, public transport and beerhalls. Solomon’s tombstone is inscribed with the epitaph: ‘Gifted singer Solomon Skuza, died on 24. 5. 1994 R.I.P.’ Once Solomon’s source of pride, the home is now in a sorry state. The current state of Solomon’s homestead reminds me of other late artistes who put Zimbabwe on the map through their music, sculpture and writing but are almost or completely forgotten. Recently, Gamba Remimhanzi — a local musicians’ support group — visited the late Philemon Mijoya’s home at Rogate Farm in Chegutu.

Mijoya, who rose to fame with his song ‘Getu’, died in 2006. The day he was buried was the last time family and friends visited his grave. When the Gamba Remimhanzi crew visited Gogo Getu Mijoya they spent almost an hour searching for the grave. The association is leading by example as they are identifying families of late artistes around the country and offering them help. Senior National FM producer/presenter Soneni Sibanda and her friends have also formed an organisation with the same noble objective.

Recently they were in Epworth where they donated various goods to former actor Marabha. “A prophet is not honoured in his own home,’’ goes the popular saying.

The million-dollar question is why are the surviving families of our departed artistes wallowing in poverty when the graves of late artistes in other countries, especially the West, are generating millions for their families as well as national coffers? Part of of the answer lies in turning the final resting places of our late performing artistes into tourism sites or museums. The museums will house their regalia, guitars, completed and uncompleted works as well as photographs. For example, the Charles Dickens’ museum at No. 48 Doughty Street, London, is raking in millions through events, exhibitions as well as selling his works and souvenirs.

The museum, opened in 1925, has a significant collection linked to his works. The Dickens House Fund is controlled by the England Heritage Memorial Fund. That shows Dickens will always be an asset to his country and a pride of his street.

Fellow English renowned poet, playwright and actor William Shakespeare, born in 1564, has family homes in Avon which have been turned into museums that run with the theme, ‘Help us keep Shakespeare’s story alive’. Exhibitions, plays and his works are displayed six days a week, bringing in revenue from tourists around the globe.

The trust is in the hands of Arts Council of England. In light of the above, there is no earthly reason why Solomon Skuza’s dilapidated home cannot be transformed into a museum that displays his works, history, pictures, vinyl records and regalia. His grave can have a wall built around it so that his fans can pay to see it; not to leave it open to passers-by or cattle herders to take selfies. The same applies to Leonard Dembo, James Chimombe, Biggie Tembo, Christopher Shoko, John Chibadura, Ndux Malax and Tineyi Chikupo’s graves. Their families can liaise with the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe together with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.

Traditional and political leaders of the respective areas can also be roped in. The late Paul Matavire’s mother, Gogo Matavire, is on record as complaining that her late son’s fans travelled from places afar to visit his grave.

They took pictures and video footages, but left nothing in return. And there is no reason, either, why iconic venues such as Mutanga Night Club, Cyril Jennings Hall and Mushandirapamwe Hotel in Highf ield; Stodart and Mai Musodzi halls in Mbare; Stanley Square in Bulawayo’s Makokoba, the Large City Hall, Kwakalulalulwama Amphitheatre-Amakhosi and Bulawayo’s old municipal beer gardens like Madlodlo, Makhalanga, Phathapatha, Matsotsi and Gibixhegu, among others, cannot host shows to commemorate the late great artistes.

The mere mention of these venues invokes memories of legendary artistes in the mould of lead guitarist Manu ‘Jim Hendrix’ Kambani of Doctor Footswitch fame, who shot to fame with ‘Shumaira’; drummer Jethro Shasha; Auntie ‘Dot’ Dorothy Masuka; The Cool Crooners; Cuthbert Maziwa; Elisha Josamu, an excellent guitarist, singer and songwriter and founder member of Hallelujah Chicken Run Band; Christopher Shoko; Ndux Malax; Lovemore Majaivana; Safirio Madzikatire and his Sea Cottage Sisters comprised of Katarina, Susan and Daisy Chenjerai, among many others who used to be regular fixtures at these venues. But all hope is not lost.

Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton, founded in 2003 by Oliver Mtukudzi, is a performance platform for developing and fostering young talent in many practical artistic endeavours, particularly music, dance, drama, poetry and storytelling. The centre, which also doubles as the late artiste’s museum, earns income for the family and performers, thereby keeping his name alive. Likewise, his grave at Kasimbwi in Madziwa must be enclosed and visitors made to pay to view it. Like the theme, ‘Help us keep Shakespeare’s story alive’, let us also immortalise our fallen heroes in the performing arts sector.