Durban — Famous Muziwakhe ‘Madala’ Kunene treated graduates and attendees to his guitar-playing skills when he received his honorary doctorate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on Wednesday.
Kunene, 72, accepted his Doctor of Music Honoris causa at UKZN’s Westville campus at a graduation ceremony.
He earned a reputation as one of the leading guitarists in South Africa.
Kunene’s journey with the guitar started when he was very young, at age 7 in the 1950s.
Born in Mkhumbane (Cato Manor), Kunene used to play the guitar he had built himself with a cooking oil canister and a plank that was carved into the shape of a guitar and used a fishing line as strings.
He was raised by his grandmother, who wished that he would study at the tower, eThusini as the university was known when he was a child. His grandmother wanted him to study all the way to doctoral level.
Years later, his grandmother’s dreams came true, even though she wanted Kunene to be a medical doctor at a hospital, his talent pointed him in the direction of being “a doctor that heals people’s souls with music”.
Following his acceptance speech, Kunene performed a song that he wished to use to express the joy and happiness he felt with the Mtimande clan.
During his acceptance speech, Kunene expressed his appreciation for having been blessed to share the stage with renowned artists including Doc Mthalane, Songamasu, Shawn Phillips, Mankunku Ngozi, Busi Mhlongo, Sipho Gumede, Hugh Masekela, Syd Kitchen, Themba Mokoena and Mabi Thobejane.
He said some of the international artists that he worked with included Airto Moreira (Brazilian percussionist), Max Laesser (Swiss guitarist), Ali Faque (Mozambican vocalist), and Andreas Vollenweider.
He thanked the producer who he worked with a great deal for distributing his music overseas, Robert Trunz.
He said his music had taken him to countries like the UK, Sweden, Norway, US, India, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Mali, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar.
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