At age 59, Zimbabwean-born Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi has been a regular feature on stages all over the world for more than three decades and this Friday he is due to give us another sensational performance at Botswana Craft in Gaborone.
Mtukudzi is well known for his outstanding voice, exceptionally good songwriting skill and the ability to bring to the surface through his music the daily life and struggles of the people.
One of his first performances was in 1977 when he joined the Wagon Wheels band in which he performed “Dzandimomotera”, which later on went gold. Shortly afterwards, Tuku went solo and released his first album which until today is still loved and appreciated by many.
He has released countless equally amazing albums and singles ever since, including his hit single “Tode”.
With his husky voice, he has become the most recognized voice to emerge from Zimbabwe onto the international scene and he has earned a devoted following across HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa” \o “Africa”Africa and beyond.
A member of Zimbabwe’s HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=KoreKore&action=edit&redlink=1” \o “KoreKore (page does not exist)”KoreKore tribe, Nzou Samanyanga, his totem, sings in the nation’s dominant HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shona_language” \o “Shona language”Shona language along with HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ndebele_language” \o “Northern Ndebele language”Ndebele and HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language” \o “English language”English.
He also incorporates elements of different musical traditions, giving his music a distinctive style, known to fans as “Tuku Music”.
Mtukudzi has had a number of tours around the world. He has been on several tours in the UK, USA and Canada to perform for large audiences.
Whenever Mtukudzi comes to Botswana, he packs venues with large crowds. Botswanacraft expects nothing different this coming weekend with tickets on sale at P250 per person.
