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exclusively to Skyhost, about his music, his legacy, the problem with today’s parents . . . and the origins of that cough.
By David T. Hofisi
His recent schedule saw Mr Mtukudzi going around the country playing at such places as Beitbridge, Rusape and Chinhoyi, shows which have given him a sense of déjà vu.
“It’s like turning back the hands of time,” he says.
“As I had performed at these venues several times before. However, 2010 is my year of having shows that carry a theme. So we had booked all these venues in Harare and across the country because we had a tour of Perekedza Mwana with my late son Sam in those places I used to perform. When he passed on, I said I won’t stop as we had agreed to do it. It was like introducing him to perform, not just in Harare. These youngsters should go to Highfield, Chegutu, and those places. I enjoyed it as it reminded me of my days at the venue. That is where the real fans are. The people are in the townships.” His plans to have shows running with themes of the ‘70s and ‘80s were put on hold with the tragic death of his son.
“I just got disturbed by losing my son. That came in the way of the plans. The script is there, but I had stopped since my son passed away.”
Mtukudzi has not, however, stopped working with his late son’s band, the AY Band, with whom he has played at various occasions including the Chimanimani Arts Festival, a move he says was necessitated by a fear that the band may fizzle into oblivion after losing its talisman.
“AY Band is part of Pakare Paye Arts Centre and I was scared that, after losing their lead singer, they could be disgruntled and split up. So I had to come in and help them carry on.”
He speaks glowingly of the Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton and the vision he has for the centre. “The idea is to try by all means to maintain who a Zimbabwean is, and the easiest way is through art. That is why it is a place for all disciplines of art, be it dance, poetry, drama, film and so on.”
It is a vision that was motivated by his own journey.
“The inspiration came from the problems I had when I started my career, mainly revolving around the problem of attitude towards artistes.
“These problems are still around. Parents do not want to promote children as artistes. Therefore instead of helping their children know who they are, they insist on children being what the parents want them to be. So Pakare Paye is there for talented people who are not appreciated, that they may come and have their talent appreciated.”
In that respect, Tuku feels Pakare Paye Arts Centre has been vastly successful in achieving this vision.
“The centre has been excellent,” he says “and coming up with groups like the AY Band, Poda, Munyaradzi Matarutse and Kazevezeve and the Pakare Paye Arts Ensemble really makes me proud. I am glad I have realised the fruits of this vision in my lifetime.”
Mtukudzi’s next release will be Abiangu, Duets of My Time, a compilation of 20 of his duets, mostly with Africans. “Collaborations are healthy because we all learn from each other and our fans benefit more. My fans get to know of the other artistes’ work and their fans get to know of my work. So I encourage young artistes to get involved even more in collaborations.”
So, what music does Oliver Mtukudzi himself listen to?  “I listen to African music, because it is who we are. If it is African, it is easy to understand. I listen to a lot of artistes.”
Early 2009 saw the advent of the multi-currency economy in Zimbabwe, and this begs the question whether artistes like Tuku are now reaping more rewards from their effort. Even in the face of financial constraints, it also remains questionable whether musicians make more from their album sales or from live performances.
“The normal thing is to make more money from sales,” points out Mr Mtukudzi.
“Whilst a show is there to market or advertise the album. But because of development, we have lost a lot of revenue and don’t get so much from sales now. We are struggling trying to earn a living from live performances.”
Asked whether the celebrated nature of his work necessarily puts an added cultural burden on society, Tuku was clear:
“That is the purpose of art. The purpose of art is to give life and hope to the people. Be it a sculptor or a dancer . . . that is the purpose. God goes to the people through you.”
The inspiration for such a stance and indeed for being a musician comes from everyday experiences with people and the vocational nature of his work.
“Being an artiste is like a calling. This is why there are a lot of artistes by education, but most of them you do not know and you may never know. And then there are those who are very popular, though they were never at a college or tertiary institution. When you are known as an artiste, it does not really come from who you are but what you have done. So whatever you do, it is because there are people, and for as long as people are there, there is something to talk about. 
“And when there is something to talk about, there is something to sing about. As long as you are there, you inspire me to do something.”
Tuku has taken to the silver screen before in the movies Neria as well as Jit, and when asked if he intends to ever return to film, he says he is still involved.
“Not as an actor, but I am producing films, and if the chance comes to be in a movie I would take it as it is not very different from singing. When I am performing on stage I do a bit of acting, which is why for musicians across the world, turning to film is never difficult.”
Tuku gives this as his typical day:
“I wake up in the morning, bath, miss breakfast like I did today, come to work, where either I am doing my personal work or I am just listening to these youngsters; go back home, watch a little TV and go to bed. I rehearse three times a week.”
Asked if he has any parting word for young artistes still looking to find a voice or to break onto the music scene, Mtukudzi was quick to respond:
“We should educate parents to help children to identify themselves. Let me give you an example. A child makes a ball from paper, kicks it, and breaks a display cabinet.
“The mother goes mad, the father goes mad and that alone is not healthy for the kid. It does not help the child. The child will never understand what is wrong with him and will actually think that his parents don’t like him.
“What is good is to appreciate the shot. And to say to the child ‘that was a beautiful shot, but don’t you think you should do this outside?” so you appreciate first, then correct, and in that way, the child will listen to you.
But parents do not do that, and yet the child would have done his best. If parents show appreciation, though, the child will feel that life is worth living and he will understand that he is a good footballer, but he must do it outside.
“He will listen because he understands that vanhu vanondida mhani ava (these  people love me deeply).
“But if you go mad, they will never understand you even if you are correct. There is a thin line between what you are and what you want to be. Most kids follow who they want to be and ignore who they are, whilst parents impose who they want them to be. They tell them to read books. I, for example, used to go to school for my parents. However, those who did not go to school with me ended up being more educated than I am today because they did not go to school for the wrong reason. Most children don’t understand why they are going to school and simply go there because they are afraid of being beaten by their parents.
“Parents do not make children understand that they are going to school for their own sake and not the sake of the parents. And at the end of the day, the parents scold the child and say he is not good and yet they are the ones guilty of having ignored what the child is gifted in.
“To the artistes, I say know who you are and know what you want. You never really place value on what you can do and yet you place a value on what you struggle to do.
“This is because we take what we can do for granted whilst focusing our energies on that which demands a lot of effort from us. As a result, a lot of people are in the wrong professions. They suffer the most in these professions but they no longer have an option but to do that to earn a living.” Wise words indeed, reminiscent of the Latin phrase that is the motto of Marist Brothers’ Kutama College: esse quam videri.
“To be, rather than to seem to be.” Having spent an afternoon with Oliver Mtukudzi, you know his words come from the bottom of his heart. — Skyhost, October-December 2010.