Selmor album launch set for Friday

Popular Afro-jazz musician and heiress to the Tuku music legacy, Selmor Mtukudzi, will launch her sixth album titled Dehwe ReNzou at RM Garden Hall at the Harare Showgrounds this Friday.

Dehwe ReNzou follows up on the release of a single Mandidzimbira dedicated to her father, the late legendary musician Dr Oliver Mtukudzi, last week. The well-received single has set the tone and warmed the stage for the launch of Dehwe ReNzou.

The much-anticipated album launch has been spiced up with the inclusion of the evergreen Alick Macheso on the performance line up. Macheso, undoubtedly the King of Zimbabwean music after the death of Oliver Mtukudzi, will bring in a Sungura flair to Selmor’s Katekwe.

Over the last two months, Macheso has also roped in Selmor as a supporting act during his tours. That fatherly gesture significantly helped to take Selmor’s music to the people.

A fusion of Afro-Jazz and traditional local beats, Dehwe Renzou is an 11-track album that was produced by Steve Dyer at Dyertribe studios in South Africa except a single house track which was done by McDee. Dyer is renowned for producing Oliver’s platinum album ‘Tuku Music’.

He also produced Bvuma and Paivepo, albums which totally changed Mtukudzi’s music fortunes. On the other hand, McDee is credited for producing Selmor’s popular house tracks like Hangasa and Nguva Yangu.

Veteran Black Spirits members Picky Kasamba, Never Mpofu and Sam Mataure also feature on the album. Kasamba did backing vocals and percussion while Mpofu and Mataure played bass and drums respectively. Legendary South African musician Vusi Mahlasela, popularly known as ‘The Voice’, also features on one of the tracks.

Though it is not easy to pick the best tracks from the well packaged album, Zvine Basa Rei, Uchafinhwa, Tanda Mbizi and Unconditional Love are leading the others in terms of popular appeal. The Chronicle