WHEN super star Oliver “Samanyanga” Mtukudzi walked onto the stage last week for a performance at the Tuku and Friends gig, which was part of the just-ended Harare International Carnival at the Glamis Arena, many thought at a ripe age of 63, his act would not be as energetic as it used to be.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
But to enthusiasts who thronged the venue to witness the icon in action, what a good way it was to start a weekend for the thousands of music fanatics.
“His music has refused to die, he is just an icon, look at that,” a friend and colleague pulls my head to fix my eyes on the stage and not to the “distractions”.
Tuku was later joined on stage by the small-framed dancer, Picky Kasamba, much to the delight of the cheerful fans at the event.
The duo catered for the old and the young, taking them down memory lane and Tuku proved his legendary status beyond doubt through a tantalising show as he left his fans spellbound.
True to many, the Tuku-Kasamba reunion was the most memorable act for the night. So flawless was the Tuku-Kasamba duet that it was easy to forget that the two last performed together some time ago.
The celebrated duo’s instinctive and well-choreographed dance moves gave the big crowd that had come to celebrate the life of Tuku through song and dance something to savour.
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The telepathic on-stage understanding and the synchronised dance moves painstakingly created over a quarter of a century was all there for all to see and cherish.
The night was indeed a defining moment which showcased Tuku’s stature as an international performer par excellence. Memories came flooding back for Tuku fans, suddenly realising what they had been missing since the unassuming Kasamba quit the Black Spirits to run a family business in Bindura.
It was not surprising to hear many in the crowd calling for the return of Picky, who left the Black Spirits in 2008.
He still has the energy. Fans want him back at the Black Spirits as they shouted that they wanted more of him. An easy-going man, almost unnoticeable until he lands on stage, Picky became the grandmaster of percussion during his stint with the Black Spirit. His peerless backing vocals were key features in the shaping of Katekwe music.
Tuku’s voice behind the microphone, his ingenuity on the acoustic guitar, and litheness on stage left me with an impression that the 63-year-old songster was a mere 16-year-old.
Away from the brilliance of the Tuku-Picky match-up, the show went a long way in showing how respected the music superstar is by fellow Zimbabwean musicians.
Popular musicians like man of the moment Jah Prayzah, sungura ace Alick Macheso and Peter Moyo added a touch of class to perhaps the most memorable night in Tuku’s four-decade long career.
The new generation of musicians also joined their more established counterparts in celebrating the career of an outstanding Zimbabwean music icon.
