Zimpapers Logo

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
SUPERSTAR Oliver Mtukudzi has said he cannot retire from the music industry as he does not have a term of office adding that music is not a career for him, but his life.

Tuku was responding to a comment on Twitter by one Romeo Mo Blaq™þ @PluckyNemes who suggested that the superstar should make room for the younger generation or he would die on stage like South African jazz legend Miriam Makeba.

“Why’s this Tuku guy not retiring while he’s still ahead of the rest? We don’t want a Miriam Makeba situation of dropping dead on stage in the middle of a performance,” tweeted Romeo.

The comment was a response to veteran newscaster Temba Hove’s congratulatory message to Tuku who celebrated his 66th birthday on Saturday. After reading the tweet from Romeo, Tuku decided to respond and said the reason he has not retired was because he cannot leave his calling.

“Dear Romeo. The reason is because I didn’t apply to be myself so one can’t retire from being himself. How do you run away or say I am done being myself?

“As artists, we have no term of office or a set retirement age, this is who we are. It’s not an employment career, it’s our life,” responded Tuku.

He added that as artistes, whether young or old, they were not in competition with each other, but were in this world to complement each other.

“One more thing about art and creativity, no one person is ahead of another, no one artist is bigger or greater than the other. It’s not a competition, we are there to complement each other not to compete against each other so one should never have a need to stay ahead of anyone,” said Tuku.

He said Miriam Makeba was an inspiration to young ladies who want to take up music.

“ . . . and lastly, Mama Makeba did not die in the middle of a performance. She gave us a life to be admired till she breathed her last. She opened doors and showed many young girls and women who are alive today that it’s possible.

“We’ll continue to respect her life and work.”

Temba Hove weighed in saying: “Stars never ‘retire’, they shine on and twinkle forever in the psyche of humanity, irrespective of where and when their worldly being ‘drops dead’.”

Another Twitter user, Denny Muchemedziþ said Tuku cannot retire from his life that is music.

“And one more thing music/singing is just like talking, laughing and eating. You don’t retire from doing that because you’re old.”