Oliver Mtukudzi: Remembering A Legend

• Tuku Music releases posthumous album
• ‘The wounds are still fresh’
• Todii turned into monster Amapiano hit

By Kundai Marunya

Chief Reporter

Singing from the grave
The late icon Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi keeps giving his fans unmatched musical compositions, his signature for over four decades, this time from the grave.
Today marks 2 years since Zimbabwe’s biggest musical export succumbed to a long battle with diabetes at the age of 66, yet his dominance is still clear, through the many protégés he trained to keep his legacy going.
The music superstar, who became the first and only artiste to be granted a national hero status, had 67 albums under his belt. But his company, Tuku Music, is about to make them 68.

The album is a sequel to his collaborative masterpiece, Abiangu, which was released in 2011 featuring Africa’s music greats in the form Judith Sephuma, Cesaria Evora, Ringo Madlingozi, Phinda and Mahube, Jaziel Brothers, Siphokazi, Maureen Lilanda, Mutubambile Choir, JK, Afro Tenors, Eric Wainaina, Kudzai Sevenzo, Charles Chiweshe, Willom Tight and ExQ.
Off Abiangu (Duets of My Time), songs such as Pane Rudo featuring EXQ became instant hits.

If the new offering is anything close to the first edition, then music lovers are in for a treat after nearly 12 months of living indoors and in fear due to Covid-19.
Millions have succumbed to the virus worldwide while thousands locally have gone to an early grave. An increased number of new infections are recorded daily.

The pandemic has also literally shut down the sector, with the few flames that glowed last year through online performances and of late a few shows that only allowed a limited number of people, having been extinguished by the strict lockdown imposed early this month.
In an exclusive interview with Nhau, Black Spirits manager, who is the nephew of the late Tuku, Walter Wanyanya, said the album is ready.

“The album is done and ready (mixed and mastered) by Vusa Moyo,” he said.
“It will be released anytime from now, we are just getting a few administration protocols done. It’s titled ‘Abiangu 2’ a follow up to ‘Abiangu’.”
Wanyanya, who was Tuku’s last manager, would not go into detail on who features on the album but hinted on big collaborations with some of the late superstar’s friends from different African countries.
“This is a compilation album, so all the songs feature other artists from Zambia, Mozambique, SA and Zimbabwe,” he said.

After his death in 2019, Tuku received a befitting send-off, which became one of the biggest funerals in Zimbabwean history.

Thousands of people, among them artists, top politicians, Government officials and big names from the corporate sector gathered at his Norton home spending days and nights following funeral proceedings.
Thousands more gathered at his famed Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton to bid farewell to the musical giant.
The National Sports Stadium was almost packed to the brim with Zimbabweans from all walks of life, who bid him farewell in style before his body was airlifted to his final resting place in Madziva where thousands more had already gathered.

His was a celebration of life through music. There were also touching speeches from those who had come to know him over the years.

Even in South Africa, which he regarded as his second home, a memorial service was held with his protégé Mbeu performing with some of Tuku’s friends, singing mostly songs off Abiangu.
Subsequent celebrations of his life were held in the months that followed. And it is these commemorations that made Tuku Music fans look forward to a bigger celebration this year as a new album was being unveiled.
“We would have loved to commemorate in the best way we know how, that is, through live music but because of the current pandemic we have put those plans on hold,” said Wanyanya.
“We hope that by September, God willing, we would have returned to some kind of normalcy and we can do something around his birthday.”

Tuku’s birthday has always been one of the biggest events on the local entertainment calendar. The musician would often invite his friends from other countries to perform at huge celebratory gigs usually held at Andy Miller Hall, Pakare Paye Arts Centre or the Harare International Conference Centre.
Often, the celebrations would also feature an album launch, thus giving fans something to look forward to each year.

Born in 1952 in Highfield, Harare, Tuku’s music journey started at a very young age when he would strum his home-made guitar for onlookers.

He often told people that he inherited the music genes from his late parents who were both musicians. Inevitably, he also passed the same genes onto his own children – his late son Samson and daughter Selmor.
Professionally, his music career started at the age of 23 in 1975, when he released his debut single “Stop After Orange”. This was at the time he had joined Wagon Wheels, a band which included Chimurenga music singer Thomas Mapfumo and the late music legend James Chimombe.

The band did not last long with Tuku pursuing a solo career to record “Dzandimomotera” in 1977. The song stayed on the charts for 38 weeks, 11 of those on pole position.

A year later saw Tuku forming The Black Spirits and the release of his debut album “Ndipeiwo Zano”.
Tuku has several accolades to his name, and after his death he was recognised by the prestigious BET awards for his contribution to the sector, while Grammy Awards also mentioned him among the legends the entertainment industry lost in 2019.
Though dead, his music continues to influence society, and through his children and protégés, his legacy remains safe. Nhau/Indaba