Song and dance for Tuku
Family, friends pay tribute to the ‘proud, African man’
The South African music industry yesterday paused to celebrate Zimbabwean music legend Oliver Mtukudzi at the Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein.
Tuku, as he was popularly known, died of diabetes on January 23 in a hospital in Harare. He was 66 years old. Her daughters Selmor and Sandra, as well as some family members and grandchildren, were in attendance.
The dignified service saw friends and fellow musicians praise Mtukudzi for his humanity. His sound, that transcended borders and culture, was celebrated. SA-based Zimbabwean singer Berita, who collaborated with Tuku, performed Neria, one of his hit songs. Fiona Gwena, his backing singer since 2011, said she lost a parent in Mtukudzi.
“He changed my life. To you he was Dr Mtukudzi, to us he was daddy. He did not want us to treat him like a boss. “He changed our lives for the better. We thought he would get better. But we woke up one day with different news. It’s still not real to me. He used to say to us there is no culture better than the other. There is no one better than you. You have to be yourself,” she said. Record company executive Rob Cowling said: “Oliver lived his 66 years fully. He touched people’s lives through his music. He was humble and an inspiration to those close to him. He would come to your life and change it.”
Jazz artist Steve Dyer, who met the star in 1984 while living in Zimbabwe, said Tuku was one of the most disciplined artists whose music crossed borders.
Dyer, who founded Mahube group which included Mtukudzi as a member, said he always joked around saying he was tall, dark and handsome. “He was very talented and funny. When I spoke to him about Mahube he understood the idea. He never understood all the borders that existed in Africa. Tuku was a proud man and proud African.” Promoter Peter Tladi of TMusicman said: “I met the tall giant through his musical genius and I brought him to South Africa to perform in the early 1990s, since that introduction we never parted ways. “We have lost one of the greatest musicians who graced and entertained the masses at festivals,” he said. Mtukudzi’s manager, Walter Wanyanya, shared: “This is difficult for a lot of us. We prayed that he get better. But it was not to be.”
Tuku was buried at his home village on Januray 27.