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Sipepisiwe Moyo, [email protected]

SOCIAL media was ablaze following the announcement of the Tuku International Festival of the Arts, as people noticed that Selmor Mtukudzi was excluded from the lineup.

The festival, scheduled for September,21 and 22, features artists such as Jah Prayzah, Killer T, Feli Nandi, Hope Masike, Djembe Monks, Gemma Griffiths, and Agga Nyabinde, among others.

Selmor Mtukudzi, the second child of the late National Hero Oliver Mtukudzi and his ex-wife Melody Murape, was born in Harare. Her parents divorced when she was only three years old.

Leading up to the Tuku International Festival of the Arts, fans were initially excited to see the lineup that would honour the late musical icon. However, when the poster was shared, fans noticed an anomaly: Selmor Mtukudzi’s name was missing, leading to a social media uproar.

The poster, shared by Tuku Music, the festival organisers, sparked criticism and confusion. Some users questioned the organisers’ decision not to include Selmor, while others suggested that her exclusion might have been an oversight.

In the comments section of Tuku Music’s Facebook page, Arnold Mckay remarked: “Tuku festival isina Selmor… no wonder there are no reputable international artists.” Bee Masuso added: “Eish, if you can’t be on a lineup for your late father’s memorial, what are we doing as a people? Rather put her there and let it be her choice to attend or not.”

Tuku Music later stated that they had invited Selmor, a claim some users deemed as an afterthought in response to social media pressure. Robson Sharuko, a veteran Zimbabwean sports journalist and television personality, made a notable post on Facebook, stressing the importance of including Selmor in the festival. He wrote:

“Selmor Mtukudzi is Tuku. She is his walking shadow, the part of him, which remains alive even in the shadow of his death. She can’t be turned into a nobody and she can’t be cut off from her Tuku connection. She didn’t choose to be a Mtukudzi; fate turned her into one and even in death, she will still be a Mtukudzi. Anything else is just a pathetic show organised by what Shakespeare would have called ‘poor players who mess up their hour on the stage and are heard no more.’ It would be a classic version of a tale told by a fool, which is full of sound and fury but ultimately signifying nothing.”

Some speculated that the issue might not lie with the festival organisers but could be attributed to her stepmother, Daisy. Selmor later expressed gratitude to her fans, confirming that she had received an invite and assumed it was due to the protests from her followers. She stated that she had responded to the invite email and was awaiting confirmation from the event organisers.