MPHO MUKOSI
Johannesburg - Lutendo Evens Mugagadeli, 33, from Nthabalala ha-Manyima, a small village in Limpopo, did not allow all the bullying to stop him from carrying on with his dream of becoming a poet.
Mugagadeli, who goes by the name Venda Boy Poet, started rendering poetry in 2008, and at first people would make fun of him since they did not have a full understanding of what he was talking about since his poems were too “deep”.
“The name Venda Boy Poet came up with the Pedi people after they used to bully me and call me Livenda because I was dark and I came from a very poor background, so that’s when I came up with the name I am using now,” Mugagadeli said.
With all the criticism he would get, Mugagadeli did not stop what he loved, due to people who were making fun of him, which is poetry; instead, that made him work even harder since he believed so much in himself and knew that poetry is something he was destined for.
“In 2012, I released my first poetry studio album, for which I won the Tshivenda Best Praise Singer Award. In 2013, I got nominated for the South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA). It did not end there; in 2014, I got nominated again for the SATMA and Tshima Awards. In 2018, I won the best poet of the year on SATMA, and in 2019, I got nominated for the LIMA awards, where I won the best Tshivenda album,” he explained.
In February 2018, Venda Boy Poet released a very popular single, Muphuresidente, meaning Mr. President, which was dedicated to the current South African President, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, and performed the poem to him on a British Airways flight en route to Durban.
“It was a surprise performance arranged by British Airways,” he said. “I felt very honoured to have been granted the opportunity to honour our president.”
“That was one of the best experiences of my life since I did not ever think that I would find myself in a situation where I would be praising the president. I rendered the poem in Venda since my president is Venda, and I could see that he was enjoying the poem. Although there were people on the plane who did not understand the language, I did not stop what I was doing due to shame because I am one person who is proud of what I do as well as proud of my own culture, ” Mugagadeli explains.
The Venda Boy Poet has travelled to almost every province while showcasing his talent in poetry.He has also travelled to countries like Maputo and Mozambique, as well as Zimbabwe, for drama and poetry. In addition he has been invited to a variety of desinations to offer his talents for personalities such as Khumbudzo Ntshavheni (Minister), Deputy Minister of Education Buti Manamela Sharon Ravele, PhalaPhala FM station manager; Onica Moloi, former MEC of sports, arts, and culture in Limpopo; and many more.
“I believe that I should not shy away from my talent due to what other people say or due to how you look; the industry is cruel and it will never give you what you deserve, but what you demand is to believe in yourself even when other people don’t, and in that way you will achieve any goal that you have set for yourself. Do not allow poverty to stand in your way of achieving your dreams,” he said.
The Star