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ill for some time.
Who is Doreen Ncube? Some of you might ask? Very few people born after independence know her, but trust me, she had an incredible voice.
To me, Doreen is one of Zimbabwe’s most important music icons whose death is as devastating as the deaths of those who went before her such as Prince Tendai, Andy Brown and Tongai Moyo.

Well, I first met Doreen in 1983 when I was doing a video for one of my hit songs “We Are One Family” (“Hello Brothers, Hello Sisters”).
She was working with The Pied Pipers band then. We teamed up to do my next video for the song “Stop Your Crying”, which was screened non-stop for six months on ZBC’s Sounds  on  Saturday programme presented by the late Josh Makawa and John Matinde.
I remember Josh whispering to me then: “Hey, that’s a gorgeous lady. Where did you find her? I wouldn’t mind becoming a musician for her sake.”
Indeed, Doreen was quite an attractive lady, talented and a pleasure to work with.

Doreen is a sister to Busi Ncube of the Rain Band and Sipathisiwe Ncube, who both worked in the band Ebony Sheikh with George Pahlani.
She was the oldest of the three sisters. From The Pied Pipers Band, Doreen went on to sing with Mudzimu Band.
She married Elijah Madzikatire, Safirio “Mukadota” Madzikatire’s son, and together they had a son called Solomon.
She later moved to London in the early 1990s where she continued with her singing career mainly in nightclubs and was rated together with Rozalla Miller as one of

Zimbabwe’s best singers.
She has left behind three more children. Efforts to speak to Raphael, her other son, were fruitless.
According to Solomon, a funeral service will be held in Bulawayo although she was buried in London at the weekend.
Her sister, Busi — who flew from Norway to London— was at the funeral.

An extract from one of London’s community activists, Wala Dangarembizi, reads:
“Doreen is the sister of Ilanga’s Busi Ncube and is one of Zimbabwe’s best-known nightclub singers. She made her name as the vocalist for the Pied Pipers, but unfortunately, her recorded legacy thus far is quite small. She was very talented and will be remembered as one of Zimbabwe’s best singers.”
Solo. who is also a musician in his own right, is quoted as having revived his grand-father’s music by recording  Safirio Madzikatire’s songs such as “Ndatemwa Negogo”, “Ndatenga Mota”, “Katarina” and “KwaHunyani”.

It is difficult to mention Doreen Ncube without mentioning her ex-husband, Elijah Madzikatire, who at the time of meeting with Doreen was also following in his father’s footsteps. Elijah started singing in a band with his father, Safirio.
Safirio became well known for his music and acting in the television soap, the Mukadota Family. He starred on radio and television under the Mukadota name alongside his long-time creative partner, Susan Chenjerai, between 1964 and 1987. They also toured and produced popular musical comedy records, including the

single “Katarina”, which was a big hit in 1983.
Safirio eventually joined the Ocean City Band with Elijah and in 1981 they both moved over to the Brave Sun band.

Even after his death, Safirio is considered to be a cultural icon in Zimbabwe. He has been honoured by fellow musicians. Oliver Mtukudzi dedicates his song “Handinzwi” to the memory of Madzikatire, a cultural               hero.
A primary school in Harare has also been named after him. In 2003, the National Arts  Council of Zimbabwe during its Nama awards, honoured Safirio by awarding him posthumously with an Arts Service Award for lifetime achievement.

Safirio’s groups included the Mukadota Family, the Ocean City Band, the Sea Cottage Sisters, the New World Band and Brave          Sun.
Elijah took over from where his father left and did a long stint with the Brave Sun. I am told Solo, became Safirio’s favourite grandson and they would be seen together everywhere he went. Solo enjoyed radio exposure at an early age when Safirio would take him to Mbuya Mlambo’s radio shows at ZBC in Mbare.

But that is a digression, the focus is on his mother who passed on last week. To Doreen, and the rest of her family I say rest in eternal peace.
Meanwhile, credit must be given to  Minister Webster Shamu for assisting the families of late musicians and the music industry in general. At the Bob@88 awards ceremony held at the Harare International Conference Centre last Wednesday, he spoke passionately about curbing piracy.
He also presented US$500 to Andy Brown’s family that was represented at the function by his two daughters, Amara and Shala.

Alick Macheso, who was present at this ceremony which also saw Suluman and Tryson Chimbetu sharing the stage in a show of family unity, was moved by this gesture.

He praised Minister Shamu for his efforts.
“If Comrade Shamu was there from the beginning, musicians would have by now gone very far.”
All known organisms inevitably experience death.
In the past phenomena, which commonly brought about death included old age, predation, disease and accidents.
In this day and age of HIV and Aids we have become more discreet about the cause of death to the extent that we only get shocked to hear about someone’s death

when we were not even told that they had been ill.

There is nothing anyone can do about dying. We will all die some day, yet death is something very difficult to accept.
We can never get used to it. To make matters worse, we all get shocked when we hear that someone young has died. We are all secretly terrified of death. It is one aspect of life, so to speak, that civilisation has not improved.
The Beatles once sang: “What Have We Done to Deserve Such a Fate?” It is indeed the question one asks when faced with death, but it is one of those things mankind will never be able to avoid.

Since independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has lost many musicians. These include Leonard Dembo, Ndux Malax, Martin Ndlovu, Titus Zihute, George Pada, Clever Kazera, Paul Phiri, Biggie Tembo, Tinei Chikupo, Flavian Nyathi, Simangaliso Thuthani, John Nyathi, Oliver Hawadi,  Andrew Chakanyuka,               Chris Chabuka, Jethro Shasha and David Mankaba.

Sebastian Mbata, Johnny Papas, Shepherd Munyama, Leonard Chiyangwa, Solomon Skuza, William Mhlanga, Safirio Madzikatire, Crispen Matema, James Chimombe,  John Chibadura, Jonah Sithole, Susan Mapfumo, Manu Kambani, Brian Sibalo, Freedom Sengwayo, Jackie Madondo, Pio Farai Macheka, Simon Chimbetu, Joe Masters, Cephas Mashakada, Tongai Moyo, Hilton Mambo and Prince Tendai Mupfurutsa are some of the artistes.

Now Doreen Ncube!
There are hundreds of other musicians who have died but remain obscure as they were regarded as backstage artistes. May all their souls rest in eternal peace!

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