Ngaphandle kokuba ngumlingisikazi, uTu Nokwe ongowokuzalwa eNingizimu Afrika ungumculi, umshayi wesigingci, umqambi wezingoma, umculi wezingoma nomfundisi. Uthando lukaTu Nokwe lwezingane nomphakathi yilo olumgqugquzelayo emculweni wakhe. Lokhu kubone i-albhamu yakhe ethi-African Child iwina i-‘Best release from Africa ‘kumagazini womculo womhlaba wase-British.
UTu Nokwe ukhulele KwaMashu, futhi uyilungu lomndeni odume kakhulu kwezomculo waseNingizimu Afrika, kwesinye isikhathi obizwa ngama-Jackons of Africa. Unina, uPatty ungumculi owaziwa kakhulu we-soprano opera, kanti ubaba wakhe ongasekho u-Alfred, ukhunjulwa njengomlingisi odumile wesiteji.
Ukukhula ekhaya lamagagu kwakusho ukuthi kwakuvame ukuba namagama adumile ukuzilolonga endlini yakhe, futhi ngenkathi uTu esemncane ebuka ngokwesaba amakhono abo. Njengowesifazane osemncane, uTu waqala impilo yakhe kwezobuciko njengomlingisi nomdansi; hhayi njengomculi! Yize wayedlala izinsimbi zomculo, kodwa wayeqiniseka ukuthi akakwazi ukucula, njengoba wayengenayo udlebe, kodwa uBusi Mhlongo owayenekhono kwaba ugqozi olwamqinisekisa ukuthi azame ukucula.
Umsebenzi wakhe wokucula waqala ngaphansi kokuqondiswa ngumama wakhe, ngenkathi uTu nodadewabo besungula ama-Black Angels kanye nomngani wabo. Kamuva, ikhaya lakhe lahlala eshibhini elingakahleleki, lapho kwaba nokuxhumana okuningi kwezepolitiki; kwathi ngenkathi abangane bakhe abaningi nomndeni wakhe bephoqwa ukuba badingiswe, yena wakhetha ukuhlala eNingizimu Afrika asebenze. Ngokulandela inkolelo yakhe yokuthi ubuciko nomculo kuyisikhali sakhe, wasungula i-Amajika Youth Project, efundisa izingane zomculo womphakathi, umdanso kanye nomdlalo wokuziqambela ukuze zizithuthukise, okuholela ekutheni ezinye zalezi zingane zifinyelele endimeni ye-Broadway Musical, i-Sarafina . Ngemuva kokuqopha i-albhamu yakhe yokuqala eyedwa, ethi ‘Mind your own business’, uhlelo lukaTu lokuzibandakanya kwezamabhizinisi lwamkhuthaza ukuba asungule inkampani yakhe yokuqopha, lapho akhipha khona i-albhamu yakhe ethi Inyakanyaka, eyadla umhlanganiso ehamba phambili kakhulu e-Afrika.
UTu wadlala indawo yokuba ngunkosikazi ka-King Shaka kuma-mini-series ka-1980, iShaka Zulu . Amakhono akhe abuye adlulisele nasekubhaleni, zombili njengombhali wemidlalo yokudlala nanjengombhali ongaqanjiwe i-My Voice, My Life, i-biography echaza ngempilo kanina ongumculi we-opera. Enye incwadi ebhalwe nguTu, i-Journey of my Soul , ibheka ukuthi abantu bangangeza kanjani ibhalansi ezimpilweni zabo ezimatasa, into okumele uTu abe esengumpetha wayo manje!
Kepha endimeni yomculo ukuthi uTu ubuya njalo. Ngama-albhamu amathathu ngaphansi kwebhande lakhe, ilebula lakhe lokuqopha, nomculo emisebenzini egxile kuzindinganiso zendabuko zase-Afrika kanye nezinsimbi zomculo zomdabu (UTu waqala ukuzifundisa isigingci ngokufaka izintambo ocingweni phakathi kwezihlalo ezimbili), umculo kufanele yiba uthando lwakhe lokuqala! Futhi kukhombisa ngomsindo wobuciko uTu awukhiqizayo emculweni wakhe – i-pop yaseNingizimu Afrika yokomoya entsha, ehlanganiswe namathonya we-jazz ne-funk – ukuxuba kwakho konke okwenza uTu Nokwe ithalente elimangalisayo ayilo namuhla!