Oskido: watching a master at work

Oskido: watching a master at work

• Oskido for Bradford, Leicester and Luton gigs

• Oskido, DJ Fresh in UK for weekend gigs

By Mduduzi Mathuthu

HIS head jiggling rhythmically to the music and his fingers masterly jabbing the elaborate buttons on the mixers, then moving swiftly to romance the turntables, it's easy to see why Oscar Mdlongwa is the hottest music producer in South Africa.

Today, on a soggy Saturday night in a public hall downtown Leicester, England, Mdlongwa is like a man possessed and the 400-strong crowd are wildly prancing about like demons.

Welcome to Mdlongwa's rather misnamed Oskido Church Grooves -- the new house music phenomenon that has gripped South Africa.

"Often, I hear the music on CD, “says Bernard Sithole who has travelled from nearby Birmingham. “I couldn't pass the opportunity to hear it live from the man who makes the music. It's like watching the master at work -- I guess the same feeling golf lovers get when they watch Tiger Woods or football fans when they watch Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho."

It's hard not to share Sithole's awe, for the man is truly remarkable -- more so if you consider he was selling sausages outside a Johannesburg nightclub in the early 90's before being invited in to spin the closing sessions. Oskido had received his first club experience in 1988 under the guidance of the late Ian Sigola.

The humble Mdlongwa, who spent his early childhood in Bulawayo's Luveve suburb, not only dominates the South African music industry but is its heartbeat, says Ezra Tshisa Sibanda, a Zimbabwean DJ.

"It is not an overstatement to say if Oskido just stopped what he is doing today; the impact would be felt at the Stock Exchange. He looks gloriously unstoppable and there seem very few things that he can't do as far as music is concerned," said Sibanda.

Oskido -- born in Oukasie, Brits, in 1967 -- is the son of Pumula-Luveve MP Esaph Mdlongwa. His politician dad met his mum, Sofi Molefi, while working in South Africa. In the early 1970's, Oskido then went to live with his dad in Zimbabwe, attending Gifford High School, only returning to South Africa in 1987 after his mum fell ill. Sadly, she never recovered. Oskido was alone.

In the mid-90's when Mdlongwa and his friend Bruce Sebitlo were ruling the underground with their group, Brothers of Peace (BOP), they found a record industry not welcoming to new sounds (Oskido remixed American house tracks, slowing them down to a speed which he says the Africans could dance to).

Rejection got to him, and at his own inspiration, he started developing his own style.

That still would not crack the main record labels and Mdlongwa went into a partnership with Christos Katsaitis and musician Don Laka to form record label -- Kalawa Jazmee.

Rejection, it now seems, was a blessing in disguise and over the years as a co-owner of Kalawa, Oskido and his chums have signed up a gamut of stars -- from Bongo Muffin, Boom Shaka, Thebe, BOP, Trompies right through to chart smashers Mafikizolo.

By his own admission, Oskido works overtime to produce his own stuff and also for the artists in the Kalawa "family".

In-between promoting his latest works, Oskido Church Grooves: The Fourth Commandment (The First Commandment was released in 2001), Oskido exclusively told New Zimbabwe.com of a massive project he is working on featuring some of Africa's leading musicians -- and our very own Oliver Mtukudzi and Andy Brown.

"It's easily the next biggest thing in African music. I'm producing this album which will feature some of Africa's best from Mali right through to Zimbabwe. I've already recorded Oliver and the track is a bomb," said Oskido.

Ever imagined Mtukudzi riding the charts with a thumping house tune? For those who heard the tune in that Leicester hall, all doubt was lifted.

DJ Gibson Ncube is one of the first few DJ's to get access to Tuku's house track and he WILL play the track at New Zimbabwe.com's 2nd Anniversary Celebrations on Friday and Saturday in Bradford and London (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)
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