Fond tributes to Nofinish Dywili

Report and picture by Lulamile Feni

LADY FRERE -- The funeral of the legendary uhadi player and umngqungqo maestro Nofinish Dywili on Sunday turned out to be a hive of cultural activity, in contrast to the normal sombre atmosphere at funerals.

Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Nosimo Balindlela best described the event when she said: "We have come to celebrate Nofinish's life, not to mourn her. We have come to celebrate her talent and what she meant to us."

Traditional attire, dance and music dominated the programme and speeches encouraged people to return to their African roots and not be ashamed of being Africans.

Nofinish, a world-renowned uhadi maestro, died of cancer in Paarl on June. She had travelled extensively with her group to many European countries, promoting indigenous music.

The provincial government has made available R50000 for the establishment of a community museum and tourist attraction at Ngqoko village. An additional R500000 will be spent on researching and documenting indigenous music in her honour.

"People like Nofinish have fought tirelessly for the recognition of our culture which some of us still fail to recognise," Balindlela said.

Balindlela called on African people "not to dump their own identity". She urged the community to be part of the Moral Regeneration Movement whose aim is to promote ubuntu, purity among girls and boys and good moral values.

Messages of support came from Art, Culture Science and Technology Minister Ben Ngubane, Premier Makhenkesi Stofile and Fort Hare professor Dave Dargie who helped promote Dywili's music internationally.

The director of the International Library of African Music, Professor Andrew Tracey, said Nofinish was one of the few people who had carried the inheritance of Africa.

"They carry deep responsibility not only for AmaGcina, AbaThembu or AmaXhosa, but for the entire nation," Tracey said.

He lashed out at some black people in cities and towns for discarding their culture, customs and heritage while adopting Western culture.

"You in the rural areas should instill your culture and customs in your children.

"The black youth should not be ashamed of indigenous music," he said.