A tribute to Nana Coyote Motijoane

| Friday July 30, 2010 00:00

 

The recent and sudden passing away of the affable and charismatic lead singer of the legendary South African band of the 80s Stimela, not only shocked many an avid afro-jazz follower but it also personally brought a great sense of sadness and a deep feeling of loss of a long time friend unto me.

I first met Nana over a snooker (pool) table at a hangout spot at Highpoint mall in the once immaculate but now run-down Hillbrow, downtown Johannesburg some 16 years ago, just weeks after I had settled in Jozi for my Honours degree programme at the venerated and creative institute of Design Centre.

Upon my arrival in Joburg, I would temporarily lodge at YMCA (which had then become Mmegi trainees' reliable port) in Braamfontein-Rissik street. This was the same sanctuary that the likes of former Mmegi scribes, Keto Segwai, Prof Malema, Lekopanye Mooketsi and yours truly had previously lodged at during our attachments at the Mail & Guardian (then The Weekly Mail & Guardian) newspaper. My transitory home happened to be just a stones-throw from where Nana lived, at the Ambassador Hotel along Pretoria street in Hillbrow. Having first met at the famous Moulin Rouge Hotel, we would later ramble the streets of Hillbrow meandering from one hangout spot to another.

We would frequent clubs like Eternity, Underground, 2nd Floor, Razmatazz, Ground Floor, Jam Alley and the Quirinell Hotel where the late and famous Afro-pop singer Brenda Fassie also used to perform. It was apparently at the same hotel and nightclub that she (Brenda) launched her career in the 80s. In fact, the Hillbrow of then served as the melting pot of people from various artistic backgrounds, persuasions and professions. And of course like all other major cities of this world and despite it's vibrancy and positive energy, it also did not escape the dark underworld activities of immoral trends and illicit acts such as the oldest profession (prostitution), drugs, muggings and car high-jackings.

It was Nana, as Coyote was affectionately known, who upon befriending each other, immediately became the big brother that I didn't have in the bustling streets of Jozi. He would at all times offer me advice and protection from being gullible to often tempting adventures and exploits under the dazzling and alluring lights of Egoli. This he did selflessly, without ever expecting any favours in return.

Motijoane was truly a son of the soil. Ever an ebullient and bubbly character, Nana enjoyed the company of people from all walks of life. Just a week after we had met I would introduce him to one of my colleagues from Mmegi, Comrade Selepeng who had just arrived in Gauteng for a short course.

Just like I had been previously stunned, my homeboy Selepeng was astounded by the warm reception accorded to him by the late Nana. Such was the easygoing and sociable guy he was, that he had surprised me at our very first meeting when intending to accord him celebrity status he instead treated me like a royal.  I would later get to understand why - he had a very special place in his heart for Botswana and its people. Local friends of his like Socca Moruakgomo, Soarse Katumbela, Oupa Mothibatsela to name but a few, would very much attest to this.

As fate would have it, it would seem Nana had recently come to these shores to bid his final farewell to his fans and friends when he joined Socca on a musical country tour. I got a chance to meet and chat with him for the last time at the backstage of Millenium Club during the first leg of their tour.

'Hee monna... motho waa Maswabi!, O sale o re o tla nshapela round,  Ke sa go emetse man', he would say, referring to the promise I had long made him to visit at his home in Johannesburg. That was when we met at yet another local show where he performed, organised by Mascom at the Gaborone Showgrounds some two years earlier.

Sadly, Nana had just performed at a show in Mafikeng about four weeks before taking ill and finally meeting his fate. Him and founder of Stimela, Ray Phiri were just in the middle of putting the final touches on their soon-to-be released album. Their new release was also planned to coincide with their reunion and country tour in South Africa.  'I'm deeply shocked, confused and saddened by the untimely death of my friend and brother Nana. We had come a long way and together we had such great and memorable occasions. Nana was naturally talented. He sang the lyrics of all our songs with so much passion and vigour as if they were his own creation', said Phiri in an interview with Kaya FM's Good Morning Gauteng show host Kgomotso Matsunyane. Equally shocked and saddened was Socca whom Nana had not only entered into some collaborations with but also together planned some local and South African tours with Tshepo Tshola. Socca passed by my office to show me some of the promotional material like posters that had already been printed for the shows.

The late Nana had also been scheduled to share the stage with the legendary mpaqanda musician Steve Kekana the weekend preceding his passing.

Nana was was also a former member of Uhuru (later Sankomota) and The Black Five. The music and entertainment community has indeed been robbed of a musical genius and member of the once fiery Stimela that set the region alight with their once top of the charts hit, Whispers in the Deep. Who can forget that six-to-six (6pm-6am) festival at the National stadium in 1987?

The song (Whispers in the Deep) would later be banned from the SABC's airwaves because of it's political connotations in some part of its lyrics, especially with the chorus 'Phinda Mzala! Awumphinde mzala! Speak up your mind! Speak up! Wake up!'.

O robale ka khotso motho waa Motijoane, O tsamaye hantle Mokoena.