Joseph Shabalala documentary to open film festival

Thoko Shabalala, the wife of the late music icon Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder, is excited that a documentary about her husband's life will finally be screened.

Titled Music is My life, the doccie will premiere at the 24th edition of the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival that normally takes place in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Shabalala told Sowetan that her husband, who died in 2020, waited with baited breath for the documentary to hit the big screens.

“I know about the film and the director told me that it was going to open soon. I am excited and looking forward to see it. Ubaba (my husband) died asking me when the documentary will be finished and shown. Just before he died he really wished to see his story being captured whether in a movie or book. When he saw himself on television he used to be excited. He was concerned that he will end up dying before seeing it.”

“When I got married to him I collected and stored a lot of notebooks and papers where he wrote a lot of information. I collected them not even knowing that one day they will help in capturing his story.”

The documentary is directed by emerging young filmmaker Mpumi "Supa" Ngcuka, a graduate of the Chelsea Arts School, New York Film Academy. Music is My life has been chosen to open this year’s Encounters South African International Documentary Festival that starts from June 23 to July 3.

According to Ngcuka, the film will feature people like Paul Simon, Dolly Parton, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Nduduzo Makhathini, Linda Bukhosini and Sipho Sithole among others.

Ngcuka, who began working on the film four years ago when Shabalala was still alive, said Music is My Life follows Shabalala’s and the man behind the genius he was.​

“This film sets itself apart because I spent a lot of time with Bab' Shabalala before he died. It is more personal and while filming it I got to spend time with him and given access to the family – his wife and sons. I also discovered Bab’ Shabalala’s music that has never been heard before. I got an opportunity to listen to recordings that he did speaking about his life and they were many, I could not finish them.”

“After listening to those recordings I had to change the angle because they gave me a window into his life and that he was lonely. He loved spending time alone, composing songs. When I spoke to his sons they told me a story of how he used to wake them up at 2am when they were kids. He wanted them to assist in putting a song together that had just come through a dream.”

Other films that will be shown include Whispering Truth to Power, a doccie about Professor Thuli Madonsela, Girl Taken and African Moot among others.