Oliver Mtukudzi    (Sept 1952)

"Oliver Mtukudzi is truly one of Southern Africa's greatest musicians, writers and performers. [His] star is still rising and will hopefully continue to do so for many years to come!"¹

Oliver Mtukudzi is a Zimbabwean musician, one of the longest-lasting popular performers from that country. He began performing in 1977 when he joined the Wagon Wheels, a band which featured Zimbabwean legend Thomas Mapfumo. Their single, "Dzandimomotera," went gold and Tuku's first album followed..." "Mtukudzi is also a contributor to Mahube, Southern Africa's 'supergroup."²

The following quotations are excerpts from Craig Harris' article at All Music Guide ³...

"Gifted with a deep, gutsy voice and a talent for writing songs that reflect on the daily life and struggles of the people of his homeland, Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi is one of Zimbabwe's greatest artists. His blending of Southern African music traditions, including mbira, mbaqanga, jit, and the traditional drumming styles of the Korekore, has created such a unique sound that it has been respectfully dubbed "Tuku music." "

"While Parade referred to Mtukudzi as "one of the few genuine innovators on the Zimbabwean music scene," Prize Beat proclaimed that "his music has been instrumental in strengthening our freedom, socially, politically, and economically." Bonnie Raitt, who has recorded several of his songs, explained, "The juxtaposition of what Mtukudzi sings about and his raw, imploring, vocal reminds me of Otis Redding, Toots Hibbert, and some of my favorite reggae, an odd pairing of agonizing, thorny lyrics over basically lighthearted music.""

"Mtukudzi has consistently balanced his musical career with his passion for film and drama. In addition to appearing in several documentaries on Zimbabwean music, including the BBC-produced Under African Skies and The Soul of the

- Check an Oliver Mtukudzi's biography at Afropop-

Mbira, he starred in Jit, the first film featuring an all-Zimbabwean cast. He also played a prominent role in, as well as composed and arranged the soundtrack for, Zimbabwe's second film, Neria. His work earned him a M'Net award for Best Soundtrack of 1992. "

With a career that has spanned now 30 years, he continues to show real dedication to the live music scene and has been known to perform even in the most remote parts of his country.  ""Fusing mbira, rumba, and mbaqanga beats, Tuku is an innovator who has brought together in his music some of the disparate cultural groups in Zimbabwe."³  He has been the recipient of numerous national and international film and music awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Zimbabwe Music Awards.

Genre: World music, mbira, rumba, mbaqanga, jit

Sources: (1)  (2) (3)