Home » Zimbabwe’s Jazz Maestro Oliver Mtukudzi Passes Away

Zimbabwe’s Jazz Maestro Oliver Mtukudzi Passes Away

Zimbabwe’s most successful and internationally renowned musician Oliver Mtukudzi died on Wednesday after suffering from diabetes, ending a career that spanned four decades and 67 albums. Zimbabwean publisher of Africapedia, Charles Onyango-Obbo also pointed out that the legendary Mtukudzi has passed away on the same date as South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela, who died […]

By SAPeople
23-01-19 20:50
in Africa

Zimbabwe’s most successful and internationally renowned musician Oliver Mtukudzi died on Wednesday after suffering from diabetes, ending a career that spanned four decades and 67 albums.

Zimbabwean publisher of Africapedia, Charles Onyango-Obbo also pointed out that the legendary Mtukudzi has passed away on the same date as South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela, who died last year.

The 66-year-old singer, affectionately known as “Tuku”, died at a local clinic on Wednesday afternoon, the Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa said.

As news of his death filtered out, government ministers, lawmakers and ordinary Zimbabweans set aside the country’s political troubles to pay tribute to the most recognized artist to emerge from Zimbabwe onto the international scene.

Mtukudzi began performing in 1977 with Thomas Mapfumo, another successful artist whose protest music remains popular.

With his husky voice, Mtukudzi earned a devoted following across Africa and beyond. He largely steered clear of politics in his songs, which touched on people’s everyday life struggles, said Reuters.

But in 2001, his song Wasakara, loosely translated as “you are old” from the chart-topping album Bvuma/Tolerance, was interpreted by many to refer to Robert Mugabe, then Zimbabwe’s 77-year-old president, whose party won a violent and disputed vote the year before.

In March 2003 Mtukudzi made it to the cover of Time magazine titled “The People’s Voice”, a story about how the country’s musicians were singing for change.

“If anyone ever made me proud to be #Zimbabwean it was you. Thank you for making us happy for so long, especially during the darkest days,” opposition senator David Coltart posted on Twitter.

Mtukudzi’s music cut across generations and in his later years he produced duets with younger musicians, some of whom he nurtured at his arts center in Norton, outside Harare.

He has produced songs with South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well as Masekela, the trumpeter and singer known as the “father of South African jazz” who used his music in the fight against apartheid.

“From the depths of Harare his career blossomed like the flame lily flower & his artistic genius brought us together in good times & gave us hope during our darkest hour,” Nathi Mthethwa, South Africa‘s Minister of Arts and Culture, tweeted.

Mtukudzi told TshishaLIVE during an interview last year that his 67th album (Hanya’Ga) was intended to “share a message of introspecting and I’m hoping people learn a thing or two from it. It’s an album I wrote last year after I realised that the world keeps getting tangled up in ‘unnecessary’ problems.

“All because we are focused on competing and being better than the next person. In so doing we keep stepping on each other’s toes but that is not how God created us. God meant for us to compliment each other, that’s why he didn’t duplicate talent.”

After hearing the news, MTV Base South (South Africa) tweeted: “It is with sadness that we say Rest In Peace to one of the greatest musician of our time, Oliver Mtukudzi. Thank you for sharing your talent with Africa and beyond ??”

Renowned Zimbabwean constitutional lawyer, Fadzayi Mahere, tweeted: “You were the soundtrack to an entire generation and a rare gift to Zimbabwe. We will always love you, a legend and hero.”

Fellow Zimbabwean musician, singer and songwriter Flint Bedrock said: “Africa and indeed the world has lost a great music icon, a legend whose music touched millions of people across the world. RIP Oliver Mtukudzi ?”

(Editing by James Macharia, Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean and Jenni Baxter)

WATCH Oliver Mtukudzi – “Neria”, 2009