Selmor plays down Daisy rift

By Vasco Chaya

Cracks in the late superstar Oliver Mtukudzi’s family appear to be widening over his music legacy, with his daughter Selmor seemingly on the receiving end of planned attacks.

Although she refuses to speak ill of her stepmother, Daisy, the songstress sheds tears when she speaks of her father.

Mentioning her family politics or Daisy’s name makes Selmor uncomfortable and breaks the conversation.

“When it comes to that issue, I can’t comment. All I can talk about is the music,” she told the Daily News on Sunday in an interview last week.

On March 29, Selmor will stage a mammoth gig in honour of her late father at Andy Miller Hall in the capital.

Dubbed “Selmor and Friends”, she will be supported by the original Black Spirits members Never Mpofu and Picky Kasamba among others.

There are unconfirmed claims that the likes of Kasamba have been approached by the rival faction for them to ditch Selmor’s camp.

While Selmor will be at Andy Millar Hall, there will be a counter attraction in South Africa on the same night, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CIJF) where Tuku will also be commemorated.

Tuku was supposed to perform at this event and a promotional video has since been shared on his Tuku Music official social media pages.

The video was done before the superstar’s death and several people have questioned its circulation now, with some seeing it as a plot to scuttle Selmor’s event.

The remaining members of Tuku’s Black Spirits will perform in South Africa on the day.

Last month, Daisy was subjected to severe attacks after a statement was shared on their social media trashing “… any events or gatherings that are being held in the name of the Mtukudzi family as we are still grieving”.

This was viewed again as an attack on Selmor who, together with her sister Sandra, performed at a concert in Jo’burg in honour of the late musician.

The statement said the CIJF will be the first tribute concert sanctioned by the Mtukudzi family which again was interpreted as a dig at Selmor’s proposed March 29 Andy Miller Hall gig.

Away from all the family drama, Selmor said she is not there to recreate Tuku or fill his shoes but to uphold his legacy.

“As much as I cannot fill and fit into my father’s shoes — considering he was a giant in the music industry — all I want is to make people remember him through me as I perform some of his songs.

There is no way I can recreate Tuku,” she said.

She has hailed her relationship with Kasamba and Mpofu who attended her luncheon to promote the forthcoming gig, shedding tears while hugging Picky.

“The relationship is still starting and I hope we will make something concrete in the near future provided things keep going on well,” she said.

On the other hand, Kasamba told the Daily News on Sunday that Selmor needs their experienced hands in her career.

“She really needs that support for her to make it big in life. We are here to help her achieve what she wants to achieve with music,” Kasamba said.

Tuku died on January 23 at a private Harare hospital in the capital after battling a heart ailment, according to the family. He made history by becoming the first musician to be declared a national hero by the government, although he was buried at his rural home in Madziwa. DailyNews