Muyeshe resident documents Soul Bothers history

Sydney Fetsi Maluleke says The Soul Brothers are an institution

It took someone from Muyeshe Village in Limpopo to do justice to premier banqanga music group The Soul brothers.
Sydney Fetsie Maluleke, Johannesburg based school teacher from the improverished Limpopo village ahs written the book The Life and Times of The Soul Brothers (Through the eyes of Black Moses Ngwenya, a historic book in that it is the first time that a book was written about the band that is known throughout the world and whose success is unrivalled on the local showbiz scene.
In an interview, Maluleke says he conceived the idea after he was touched by the death of Moses Ngwenya, the band’s founder member and lead singer and composer as well as the highjack saga that involved bassist Moses Ngwenya,
“After Masondo died, I pondered what would have happened had Ngwenya died after he was hijacked. It came to me that the

band would die and I decided there and then that something should be done to keep the history of the band alive and I contacted Ngwenya,” said Maluleke.
“I felt the story should be told and by Ngwenya because he was the only one alive,” said Maluleke.
The book which is a collaboration between the two is a rave . It w as launched in Impangeni in Kwa Zulu Natal.
Another event to mark the launch of the book was done in Timbati Lodge in Swaziland.
“I am amazed by the reaction that I got from the general public,” says Maluleke a masters of arts linguistics graduate from the Witwatersrand University.
He graduated in 2015 and focused on creative writing.
Maluleke says he got to like the Soul Brothers music through his father John who is also a school teacher at Muyeshe.
“My father is a longstanding Soul Brothers fan who has collected all their music over the years. He also instilled in me the love for their music,” he said of his father who is also a voracious reader.
Maluleke senior also praised his

son for his effort.
“I am happy for him for his progress and I like the book about the band that I got to like over the years,” he said.
In the process of writing the book Maluleke says he worked with cassettes, CD’s, LP’s, videos and any piece of information about the grouo he woukd lay his hands on.
“They are an institution and it was bad that there was no book about them,” said Malulekewho is English teacher at Moses Maren School, south of Johannesburg.

The Soul Brothers have been a force to reckon with since they broke onto the showbiz scene in the early 70’s performing at important venues around the world and notching important awards including the Samas.
Ngwenya hailed Maluleke as a Godsend.
“The book will ensure the history of the band lives forever,” he says.