Founding brother moves on
Nkululeko Mthembu, the founder of Johannesburg performance art ensemble The Brother Moves On (TBMO), has died.
The Brother Moves On. Image courtesy of Facebook.com/thebrothermovesonband
Announcing the news on their Facebook page, the group recently posted: “Sad week in our lives, our founder, brother, friend, genius and clown passed away on Sunday night. We promise to send funeral arrangements via the networks. Inshallah. RIP Nkululeko aka Nkush aka Popeye aka Epic aka NkushMazel aka BURNSLOW aka Bagman aka Bagdat.”
The TBMO members did not give any specific details as to the cause of Mthembu’s death, but his brother Siyabonga shared a heartfelt message on Twitter.
Referring to the strangely extensive, notional list of well-known musicians who have died at the age of 27, mostly from drug and alcohol abuse, he tweeted: “Yes sadly friends its true, my not so little anymore bruv passed away on Sunday. Nkush was my light, one never heals from such. #27club RIP.”
Initially created as a completely art-focused movement, TBMO has throughout the years shifted its focus more solidly to music. Now more of a music collective, the show does, however, incorporate visuals, performance art, story-telling, and costumes.
The name The Brother Moves On is said to be a play on the name of atypical hitman, The Brother Mouzone, from television show ‘The Wire’. It, however, also refers to the initial inspiration to create a group whose members play an impermanent part of a larger process, whereby it is the individual prerogative of each ‘brother’ to move on if he feels so inclined.
– TEAMtalk Media
