By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
At the turn of the millennium, the year 1999 to be precise, music lovers witnessed one of the greatest comebacks of the decade.
Zimbabwean musical icon, Oliver Mtukudzi unleashed his smash hit album Tuku Music. It was a sure fire hit album that features the tracks Ndima Ndapedza, Tsika Dzedu, Mai Varamba, Tapindwa Nei, Dzoka Uyamwe, Todii, Mabasa, Rirongere and Wake Up.
The album caused a stir on the airwaves and relaunched Mtukudzi’s music career.
It had been a long winding road for Tuku as his fans fondly call him, before he found the working formula in music.
But with the release of Tuku Music there was a marked change in Tuku the person as well as the musician.
The album became his brand of music which is known as Tuku Music, a sound that incorporates the hard-driving South African mbaqanga beat and the Katekwe drumming patterns of his Korekore people.
Since the release of the album Tuku Music, Tuku’s beat has often been referred to as Tuku Music, an indication that he had become an institution unto himself. Much of his music has the universal themes of humility, respect for one another and, of course, the need for hope in a troubled world.
Tuku, who famously claimed that his first attempt at singing was his birth cry has had a long and successful career including releasing 57 albums, appearing on the cover of Time Magazine, receiving a Kora All Africa Life Time Award and performing in many international cities around the world.
In September this year, he was given a Masters Arts Degree, an honorary degree from the Women University in Africa.
However, trying to confer the musician of the decade status to Tuku is no mean task.
One cannot simply pigeonhole an artiste into a particular category without taking into consideration other factors outside their music. For all intents and purposes we have looked at the music, achievements, social and community work.
Given this whole spectrum it is easy to see why Tuku can be viewed as the musician of the decade.
Music
At 57, Tuku has released a record 57 albums including Bvuma/Tolerance, Nhava, Shanda Soundtrack, Vhunze Moto, Paivepo and Tsivo among others. By releasing 57 albums is a feat on its own as there are not many musicians in Africa let alone in Zimbabwe with a discography as big as his.
Yes, he has an impressive list of achievements, which are not related to his music, and there is no other musician who has done the same things as Tuku.
Perhaps the next big person who comes to mind is the United States based Dr Thomas Mapfumo but again, when you at Dr Mapfumo it is all about his music.
According to Dave Love, the president of Heads Up International, a music stable and distributor said: “throughout his career, Tuku has tried to stay above politics, which is one reason he’s been able to remain in the country.”
“While Tuku’s songs don’t carry explicit political messages, he makes it easy to read between the lines.”
It can be argued that Tuku “the guitarist, songwriter and persuasively soulful vocalist” has been a hero in Zimbabwe for more than a decade, “with vast body of uplifting songs in his signature ‘Tuku music’ style.”
“My music is trying to help people do things in harmony, and live properly without hurting each other, not to use hatred, which never solved anything,” he was quoted as saying in the Times.
The recent developments at Pakare Paye Arts Centre where he is identifying and developing young talents from his community. He probably could have built his own properties in plush suburbs like Borrowdale Brooke but he chose to open arts learning centre.
At the centre it is not just music that is appreciate but other arts disciplines like sculptures and visual art as well as sound engineering.
While the arts centre is for young people to learn their skills in the arts industry, by providing the resources, it has also created employment for the trainers who train the youngsters and other service providers.
Film
Tuku started off acting as an amateur oblivious of the fact that one day it would pay. He featured in a number of local productions until a point that he not only loved being in front of the cameras but also behind the scenes.
His hindsight took him a step further from being a mere actor to directing.
Some of the films in which Tuku acted or featured in cameo roles include Neria where he single handedly directed the music and provided the soundtrack, Jiti, Shanda, a biography film about his music career, Ndichirimudiki and Zvemudundundu. There is also an upcoming film called Sara Woga, an adaptation of Elias Machemedza’s book of the same title in which Tuku produces, acts and directs the music.
The achievements (local)
One way of reviewing Tuku’s achievements is by looking at some of the awards that he received both locally and internationally.
On the local front, he is twice Zimbabwe Music Awards winner, four times National Arts Merit Awards, two time winner of the Kora All Africa Music Awards and this year he was a finalist in the South African Music Awards.
He was honoured with a Masters of Arts Degree from the Women University in Africa, another honorary degree from the University of Zimbabwe in 2003
International
He was named Cultural Ambassador by the United States-based Project Concern International, for his work towards community based programmes.
Social and community work
Over and above Tuku has been raising HIV and Aids awareness. He has been working with an orphanage for children orphaned by HIV and Aids. The orphanage from Binga, one of the remotest areas of Zimbabwe has been encouraging as it involves some of the marginalised children.
He has done a lot of work as an artiste including addressing a conference in Canada this year where he spoke about HIV and Aids.
HIV and Aids and global warming are the two topical issues dominating the world debate and for a Zimbabwean artiste to be asked to speak at such a forum it is in a way a milestone. This is what makes an artiste and from all these development you see Tuku as a rounded artiste.
According to Brad Buchholz of Austin American Statesman: “Like Dr Mapfumo, Tuku is an artiste who is frequently described as a the conscience of Zimbabwe. Yet his music speaks to a larger world conscience, and its spirit transcends the limitations of language.”
For the period 1999 to 2009, Tuku stood out and became a pride of the nation. With musicians like Tuku who perform to wider audiences across the world, Zimbabwe is now known for its great artistry. Tuku has vowed to continue singing for as long as he still has some breath in him.
Hate or love him, Tuku has achieved more than any average musician has and it is against this background that he is the Musician of the Decade.
