Another album for Tshifhiwa Rabambukwa and The Hot Boys

Fans will be delighted to hear that the famous rhumba king, Tshifhiwa Rabambukwa, and his band, The Hot Boys, released their latest album earlier this year. The seven-track album, titled Pride, was recorded live at the Worship House Studios in Shayandima, near Thohoyandou, and Rabambukwa says it has already become a great hit among their followers.

Obed Gomba, drummer for world-renowned musician Alick Macheso, travelled all the way from Zimbabwe to Venda to play the drums on Rabambukwa’s album. “After the album was completed, top Zimbabwean sound engineer Jabulani Ndhlovu collected it and took it back to Zimbabwe, where he engineered it. This is one of the reasons why Pride is so outstanding and unique and competing with some of the best rhumba albums here in South Africa and Zimbabwe.”

Rabambukwa says he had roped in Ndhlovu and Gomba to make sure that his music matched international rhumba standards. “I am not surprised by the sales of this album or the response I get from fans, who keep telling me that this is the best album I have ever produced. The album is also well received in Zimbabwe, and I am getting positive feedback from my fans over there too.”

The artist, who hails from Tshipise Tsha Sagole village outside Musina, boasts many awards, including the 2018 award for Best Tshingondo Artist at the Tshivenda Music Awards (Tshima).

Rabambukwa started his music career with a local band, who called themselves Samson and the New Stars, but the band has since disbanded. He then joined Calvin Maemu and had a short collaboration with Zozo as lead guitarist before he went solo in 2005. His first album, Vhugevhenga, was released in 2006, followed by Vhuhovheleli in 2009, Mashalele in 2012, Tshifheti ndi shaka in 2015, Tshivenda tsha hashu in 2018, and, of course, Pride in 2022.

The album, he says, is about people who do not achieve their goals in life because they try to be someone else. “Some people try to copy the lifestyle of others in order to impress the public. The best thing is to live your own life and be thankful for what you have. If we all live an honest life, it will be much easier to achieve our goals because we won’t be competing against each other. I felt I had to put this message in a song to get it out there.”

Entertainment - Date: 24 March 2022

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