Mbabane: They say the wine gets better as it gets old.
Similarly Siyabonga Trumpet Gama has now been eleven years doing music and poetry and is now one of the best poets in the country.
Born and raised in the urban arrears Trumpet has fallen in love with a guitar doing music and poetry. He is an Afro Soul RnB musician and song writer, he also plays acoustic and piano.
In an interview with this publication Trumpet said he spent most of his early life in Ezulwini and Pinevalley where he grew up. Trumpet has been working as a poet and musician for the past 11 years.
“This year am celebrating 11 years as a poet and musician Eswatini and God has been amazing its true am not where I feel like I should be but I appreciate that am somewhere I don’t look like the years back when I started with nothing” he said.
His journey started way back in 2008 and has been in the industry since then. His passion for poetry started in primary school and grew up and fell in love with arts.
“I started as a poet at school sharing at school morning assemble, and in churches. What I discovered was that my voice was made unique by music backing me up as I do my performance so my greatest challenge was not being able to play any instrument and depending on people to give me the right sound for my poems really drained because as a I writer I didn’t only hear the poem out bursting from my in most being but including my the sound so I use to go with what they could play up until I got fed up and started going for keyboard lessons” he said
The 26 years old artist has performed in various big platforms and stages doing music and poetry. He has performed in the BUSHFIRE festival, About Last Night Music Festival, Alliance Frances Music Festival, Taste of Eswatini, Support My Ability Festival, This Is Who I Am Festival to name but a few`.
Trumpet has also performed in different platforms like weddings, birthdays, parties, churches, restaurants, conferences and roadshows. He shared the stages with the biggest artist in the country of Eswatini and outside.
Trumpet got popular as poet reciting piano, he performed in many places playing and reciting poems. “One of my first achievement is being able to work with Mobilized TV, Theatre groups, and writing promosions for companies”
He also did a poem for the His Majesty King Mswati III for 50/50 and it was played on Mobilized TV launched at Bahle Gallery other poems played at One gospel titled Self-righteousness including on Eswatini TV.
Trumpet is also a Co-founder of the Support my ability Festival, which bridge the gap between the disable and the rest of the citizens and also creates a platform to showcase their talents and skills. He has partnered with NGOs in eSwatini in fighting against gender based violent through musical poetry.
Throughout the years Trumpet says he has been always guided by his vision which is based on the teaching of good morals and giving hope. He also has a poetry video that is playing both on eSwatini TV and Channel S.
When asked about challenges in the industry and what keeps him going Trumpet said, there are so many challenges which includes less available platforms of poetry performances. “What kept me going was that I developed a mentality to try and fit myself in most platforms since my main aim was not necessary write but also impact people”.
“My advice to upcoming poets is that they should improve their strategies. If you don’t want to improve your strategies you will not grow and repeat the same thing even in 2020 and blame allow God to stretch your mind, he said.
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