Xitsonga music legend eulogised

Multi award winning music star praised Glowing tributes have paid to Xitsonga music legend Eckson Maluleke who died at home after being discharged from Chris Hani Baragranath Hospital.

Maluleke, of Shigamani Village in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality died aged 58 at his home. He had won many awards and had 35 albums to his credit, 20 with his main band and 15 with his second band, Shinombhelani comprising his backing band.

He had been dubbed “story teller” because the lyrics in his songs endeared him to music lovers. His passing has been greeted with dismay by members of the community who loved the music star.

One of the people who expressed dismay was his traditional leader Hosi Bohani Shigamani. “He was a popular man who was also a pastor and coming from Shigamani, he has put the village on the map,”said Hosi Shigamani.

Female legend Sunglen Chavalala said she had lost a friend . She was organising a music fest at his household where musicians will perform free to the public to remember one of their own.

One of his son’s Dyondzani said hardly a day passed without a stranger coming to their home to see Eckson Maluleke. “My father was very popular, so much that his phone never stopped ringing,”he said.Dyondzabi said his father loved his family and at home he was full of jokes. “But he was a very strict and it was always his word and nothing else. When he decided on something noone would change his mind , and that included his best friend, ” he said. Another of his sons Bishop said his father was a forth right person. Pastor Thomas Siweya who was the late man,’s long time friend said his friend was initially not successful until he released his block buster single Davulela Hembe that catapulted him to stardom.”He used to regard the track as the key to his success because after its release anything he touched turned to gold,” said Siweya.

The chairperson of the Vanwanati Clan Thomas Maluleke said the late muso did a lot to improve the image of Vanwanati internationally . “His songs are popular in countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique and as Vanwanati we are proud of his achievements that have improved the lot of the Vanwanati,” he said Maluleke is survived by three wives and 12 children He will be buried at Shigamani on Saturday.