HARARE - Zimbabwean music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi officially launches his 57th album Dairai in Harare on June 26. Tuku will launch the album at the Harare International Conference Centre with a gig featuring Sulumani Chimbetu and his son, Sam Mtukudzi. (Pictured: Oliver Mtukudzi)It will be one of the very few shows that Tuku has staged in Zimbabwe this year.
Oliver Mtukudzi was born in Highfield, Harare in 1952, making him 57.
My first attempt to sing was my birth cry, says Mtukudzi.
His career has spanned more than 20 years, but it is his dedication to the live music scene in Zimbabwe, and more recently South Africa, that has earned him the place in peoples hearts that he holds today.
Tuku joined the now legendary group Wagon Wheels, which also featured Thomas Mapfumo, in 1977 quite a leap from performing in the churches in Highfield.
Later, it was with a number of the musicians in the Wagon Wheels line-up that Tuku formed The Black Spirits, the band that has backed him throughout his career.
Since independence, Oliver has released two albums every year, establishing himself as a producer, an arranger, a prolific songwriter and, with his famous big voice, a formidable lead singer. He speaks both Shona and Ndebele, and often writes songs in English as well. Tuku has, in fact been so innovative in his music that it is now referred to as Tuku Music and quite distinct from any other Zimbabwean style.
Tukus enduring popularity has largely resulted from his powers as a lyricist. Most of his songs focus on the social and economic issues that govern peoples lives. With an infectious sense of humour and optimism that prevails through all his music, his appeal extends to young and old alike.