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He left for th U.S. in 1977 for further
studies, starting by attending Eastern Hills Highschool in Forth Worth, Texas. He was also involved with the Baptist Students
Union of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). He then proceeded to Salonica, Greece, to undertake medical studies.
It was the first time in Greece that he took music seriously, playing for the first time with a professional band, a rock
group ‘MAKEDONOMACHI’. As an A student throughout since primary school, his teachers and family expected him to
pursue a medical career. But the calling, to pursue a career related to music was too strong, that he decided to follow his
heart and switched from medicine to sound-engeneering. For that he again moved to then West Germany where he spent his next
13 years.
After sessioning as a bassist in Goettingen, Hannover and Munich he ‘postponed’ his ambition
of being a ‘tonmeister’(qualified sound engineer) and took to a music full-time. With bands such as Soulful Dynamics,
Vitamin X, Jamaica Papa Curvin and Gem Movement he rose to be a star bass player. It was Goombay Dance Band that he had his
first experience in music -big time: top class treatment, five star hotels, bodyguards, jet setting celebritiny status performing
in front of capacity crowds (up to 25000) and large concert hassl in Europe big cities of Budapest, Vienna Zurich, Den Hague,
Frankfurt, Warsaw, Berlin, to name only few...two shows a day in venues like Sport Centre in Ktovitz, Piland, the Berlin Philharmony
and a special concert for Caucescu in Bucharest.
Children of Nandi was the first group he led and was co-lead singer
and co-founder together with Bajabulile ‘Jabu’ Zikalala (his wife) and Samora Hlatshwayo both from South
Africa. He arranged and produced for a string of bands and artists and was once musical director for ‘Sounds of Soweto’,
a South African musical which had diffected from the once world over popular ‘Ipi ‘Ntombi’ cast. Themba
also worked extensively as a session background vocalist, bassist and guitarist in studios including sessions wit Carl Douglas
of Kung Fu Fighting fame and Inga Rumpf, one of Germany’s most popular Pop-Rock singers.
He started
working on film Soundtracks. he scored ‘Kalte Sonne’ (Cold Sun) a ZDF TV film in which he also acted supporting
role portraying th caracter ‘Fats’. He also scored a documentary ‘Afriker um die Ecke’(African around
the corner) by Lars Becker. Both films were done in Germany. He later scored his first major film: ‘Soweto’ by
Miceal Raeburn in Bray Film Studios in Windsor, England. In this soundtrack he worked with Errol Kennedy, the originl member
and drummer for Imagination, Torera Mpedzisi who is one of Zimbabwe’s renoweed mbira plaers, Mervyn Africa, the Sout
Africa keyboard wizard of Joy, Spirits Rejoice and District Six fame and Calvin Gugdu the Zimbabwean musician of Matonto fame
also bassed in London.
His song ‘ Children of the Frontline’ became the theme song for the 1988 UNICEF
Child Survival video which included Harry Belafonte, Maxi Priest, Miriam Makeba, Manu Dibango, Youssur Ndour among others.
The
1986 hit ‘Meet me in Zimbabwe’ which brought him into the limelight in Zimbabwe together with Children of Nandi
was used for the advertaising campain for the 6th All Africa Games held in Zimbabwe in 1995.
On returning back home,
the first work Themba embarked on, was Amakosi’s demo tape ‘Dabulap’, recorded at Z.B.C.’ Montrose
Studios. It was upon meeting Dave Eppel, an english musician/ engeneer who was working at New World Music Studio (NWM) in
Bulawayo that he decided to work on some of his material. thier ideas clicked. In the Album ‘As I Am’ we hear
a somewhat different Themba Ndlovu. One hears a strong influence of the strets of Bulawayo coupled with Daves British Rocky
style and that of Geoff Sedwick, a renowned owner of N.W.M. Studio. This is new music in Zimbabwe. A melting pot of freshness.
One can tell that musically Themba has matured. The music is more mellow, more laid back, the lyrics to listen to while driving
or in a relaxed mood..... to sit back and turn on the music!
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