The Sunday Mail
Features and Arts Editor
THE wait is finally over!
All roads lead to Kwekwe on Saturday for the official launch of the late Bob Nyabinde’s biography.
Titled “The Headmaster With A Guitar: Bob Nyabinde”, the book will be officially unveiled at a colourful ceremony that is expected to attract the country’s top celebrities and personalities.
For one reason or the other, the March 9 event will be an emotional one for the late singer’s fans, friends and family.
Nyabinde died on December 23 last year and was buried in the Midlands city.
However, some failed to be part of the funeral proceedings as they had already travelled to different places — within and outside the country’s borders — for the festive holiday.
For others in the diaspora, catching flights back home proved to be a challenge due to the pressure associated with Christmas travel.
But the Kwekwe event will be a perfect platform for everyone who associated with Nyabinde, in whatever capacity, to come together and celebrate his life.
“The Headmaster With A Guitar: Bob Nyabinde” was written by veteran journalist Munyaradzi Huni under The Legacy Diaries, in partnership with Jazz 105 Promotions.
“I visited Bob Nyabinde when he was not well. I was with Josh Hozheri and we agreed to do something for him. I offered to write a biography for him,” said Huni.
The “Chabuda Hapana” singer’s history, he said, naturally attracted his attention.
“Nyabinde’s life history is a fascinating story. He is one person who debunked the myth that magitare ndeemarombe (social outcasts). He was a headmaster who left his profession to become a music superstar.
“Even after he got into the music industry, you could safely say he was one of the exemplary artistes in the country. Despite losing his wife in 2007, he lived a clean life. You would never read about him involved in any controversy of some sort,” he said.
His background, Huni added, played a pivotal role in shaping his character.
“I think he did not want to disappoint or set a wrong example for his two sons, Agga and Albert, who were following in his footsteps. But, also, his background as a headmaster could have played a part. Headmasters and discipline go hand in hand.”
According to Huni, interviews revealed the late singer had a “big heart” as he would fix and donate guitars to fellow musicians.
The headmaster-cum-singer suffered a stroke and lost his eyesight in 2021, but lived to tell his heart-rending and deeply inspiring story that is expected to serve as a manual for both upcoming and established artistes.
“Just looking at newspaper interviews, you could see that he had gone through a lot but wanted people to learn from his situation. I then just thought newspapers, radios and so on were not able to contain his full story, hence the need for a book.
“His story is quite touching. Those who will read the biography will realise that Nyabinde was a strong character. He died after we had done all the interviews, which might mean he was so keen on telling his story.”
Huni has been working on the book since 2022.
“The Headmaster With A Guitar: Bob Nyabinde” will be launched in the afternoon.
It will be preceded by a memorial service by the Nyabinde family in the morning. The groundbreaking biography is an inspirational book that was written after the author conducted several wide-ranging and insightful interviews with the Afro-jazz crooner before his untimely death.
The book also captures voices of Nyabinde’s fellow musicians, music promoters, close relatives, former learners, band members, childhood friends and corporate executives.
As part of the interviews, the writer and the late singer travelled to areas like Mutare and Kwekwe, as well as some of the places he used to play.
“In terms of writing biographies for personalities, this is my first project. This is like my first-born child and I promise that people are going to see a lot of stuff in it (biography).
“But in terms of books, I have written a number of them for companies that have contracted me. By the end of the year, we are going to launch one or two more biographies that are going to shake the country.”
The project, however, came with its fair share of challenges as it was self-funded. Huni believes the biography will take Nyabinde’s legion of fans down memory lane.
To spice up the launch, Hozheri is organising a mini-jazz festival in memory of Nyabinde. The event will kick off soon after the book launch and will be running under the theme “Chatsva paKwekwe/Azitshe!”
“This will be a tribute show. His legacy will live on through the biography, his good music and, of course, his children,” said Hozheri.
“I had a cordial working relationship with the singer. I ran the popular Winter Jazz Festival for over a decade and Nyabinde was one artiste I always depended on for this and many other events.”
Some of the artistes who are expected to take part are Victor Kunonga, Clive Mono Mukundu, Steve Makoni, Kireni Zulu, Sam Mataure, friends of Bob in Kwekwe, and Agga and Albert Nyabinde.
“March 9 will be a special day for Kwekwe and the Nyabinde family,” said Hozheri.
