The Sunday News
Mbongeni Msimanga, Sunday Leisure Correspondent
OLIVER Mtukudzi is not a man who loves the sound of his voice when he is talking, so it is not surprising that he rarely responds when the rumour mill is on overdrive with hearsay that he is contemplating quitting music because of supposed ill health.
He has heard it all before and as a result he has developed a thick skin that cannot be prickled by such speculation.
Sunday Leisure’s Mbongeni Msimanga spent the day with the living legend at 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale, Harare last Friday, and was granted an exclusive interview in which Tuku declared that disconnecting the microphone and turning his precious guitar into a relic on the wall was not an option.
“Retiring from music? What is that and why should I? This is my time and that is how it is. I will not retire from music and people should just expect more music from me that they will like. Retiring from music is far from me,” he said.
Thoughts of retiring might have been far from Tuku, but most of his followers feared that diabetes — a disease he was diagnosed with years ago — was going to amputate his music career. That has not happened due to sheer determination which has seen him beating the odds of the daunting diagnosis. Diabetes has hardly slowed him down.
“Doctors told me that I was diabetic some years ago and that really got me scared as well, but that has not stopped me from recording and I will still go into the studio to record more music that my fans like. I have not arrived where I want to get to. I am still touring everywhere, in Africa and internationally. Look at Hugh Masekela, he is still performing at his age.” he said.
As if contending with diabetes was not enough, Tuku has had to fight off a damning book written by his former manager Shephered Mutamba, who portrays the musician as a man with a catalogue of moral failings. It comes as no surprise that he does not entertain any questions that are inspired by the book aptly titled Backstage with Tuku.
“That is rubbish and I will not entertain anything that was written in the book,” he said.
Tuku exudes confidence that borders on arrogance but he is the first to admit that he could not be at the apex if his wife and family had not stood by him throughout his stormy musical voyage.
He said: “I guess the support that my family has given me has taken me this far. Their love has given me a reason to go on producing more music not only for my family, but Zimbabweans as well.”
Fans of old school music will tell you that the emerging musicians with their genres of music are an insult to the likes of Tuku, but the legend, who has collaborated with the likes of EXQ and Berita, swims against this tide of disapproval.
“I respect every young person in the music industry and I am looking forward to working with them. I am really happy about the Hugh Masekela and Berita project that we recently did. I think it will go a long way in showing that young people actually have a future in the music industry”, he said.
The last comment helps answer some of the questions about the formula that has made Tuku an itch in the music industry that cannot be scratched away. He is not afraid to change and experiment.
