By Phillip Mudzidzi
Oliver Mtukudzi (Tuku) was born 22 September in 1952 and died on the 23rd of January 2019 aged 66 and armed with 66 music albums carrying many songs whose main recital was on how people can coexist peacefully and progressively. He was affectionately known as “Tuku” by his fans and a cough in his beautiful husky voice was his signature. He was born when Zimbabwe was a British Colony and now died when Zimbabwe is still struggling to define its democratic expression under the ZANU PF administration who took over from the colonial regime. The Zimbabwean government which has reputation for exclusively bestowing hero status to people who were only involved in the armed struggle of the Liberation movement and mainly ZANU PF cadres has warmed up to honour him as a National Hero for his contributions. The honour found resonation with all various sections of the Zimbabwean population. Various groups and various individuals may have various reasons for warming up to this decision but this author is going to highlight on some of his unique inclination to peacemaking messages through his songs and his standing up for human rights for all despite their status in the community.
His nomination as the National Hero does not come as a surprise to the Zimbabweans because he was already acknowledged as a living legend but it was truly surprising that the ZANU PF government accepted a Musician who never participated in the armed liberation struggle against the colonial regime. However, during the liberation struggle Oliver Mtukudzi sang songs that criticized the colonial practices in support of the liberation movement. When I was 9 years old, I remember my fellow schoolmates used to ask me to sing for them. I usually would pick up Tuku’s Song, “Chimusoro, kukambira kambira wanyanya”. This would literally mean Chimusoro you have gone too far claiming everything as yours. I don’t know what he really meant by that but for me it applied very well to challenge the colonial masters of the time who had earlier further removed people from arable lands to what they called Tribal Trust Lands to create more space for themselves at the disadvantage of the natives. I would use this song to challenge anyone who seems to be so selfish that they want every good thing for themselves and even at the loss of others. Maxwell Sibanda (Daily News, 28 January 2019) writes, “At the peak of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle (1975 to 1979) a group of brave local musicians rose to offer morale to the fighters and the supporting masses” and Mtukudzi was among those who were on the fore front through music fighting for the freedom of the people of Zimbabwe from the clutches of colonial power. He however had the power of wisdom and made use of metaphor to tackle issues of power relations between the minority white colonial settlers and the black majority. Sibanda (Ibid) confirms that, “their music, prophetic and proverbial had hidden messages that aroused revolutionary sentiment among blacks”. This helped him survive the brutality of the repressive regimes both before and after independence that was experienced by anyone who dared to challenge their systematized and personalized violence. He used songs like “Dzandimomotera” to paint a picture of pain and suffering of the black majority as they were on the receiving end of the injustices perpetuated by the colonial regime. On the other hand, he also motivated people to fight on with the example of his song, “Rova Ngoma Mutavara” meaning beat the drum Mutavara. Mutavara would represent a name of somebody and the name wouldn’t be personifying anyone in particular but the people would identify with the encouragement being given to them to fight on. Tuku was not racially blind but was intentionally fighting injustice that affects the people beyond the racial, tribal and class divisions within society. Songs like Chimusoro mentioned above may not only be applied to the selfish tendencies of the colonial regime but would also be useful to challenge the post independent Zimbabwean indigenous politicians and business tycoons who would exploit their own country folks. He was very intentional in his art constructs to cord messages that can be applied to the past, present and future. At the dawn of independence he was found churning songs of celebration of the achievement of black majority rule. In the song, “Zimbabwe” he recounted how the colonial regime had taken root in Zimbabwe. He also sang, “Gore raMasimba aVanhu” (The year of people’s power) referring, to the celebration of the downfall of the colonial regime and the advent of black majority rule. “But over and above celebrating I was also singing about self-discipline and restraint in that new era be it at social or political level” Tuku said in an interview with the media as has been recounted by Sibanda (Ibid.).
Other than using music as a tool to fight oppression both before and after independence Tuku used his music to conscientize people against violence. His last album “Hanyga” (2018) has a song called, “Hazvina Bopoto”. He curved an image of three relating elements coexisting in harmony for an essential purpose to human life’s existence. The three elements are from a traditional companionship of three stones with a pot on top and the fire burning under the pot as is shown in the picture above. Any of the three elements (fire, pot, and the set of stones does not consider self as superior to the others no matter how different they are. The fire sparks, the pot boils and the three stones support the pot each depending on the other for the intended purpose. The three elements coexist in relationship each playing its part. In the song he further challenges, “Ko nhai munhu haufunde neiko, zvisina bopoto?” (Why do you as a human being not learn what is nonviolent)? He also sang a piece on “Hatidi Hondo, hatidi mhirizhonga” (We don’t want war, we don’t want violence). In the song Tuku urged that “ngoromera, chibhakera hazvitonge matare, hazvina zvazvinoshanda, hazvingabatsire … ngatiwirirane” (fighting does not help at all … we must reason out our issues peacefully).
Tuku was also a guardian of human rights including the rights of women, children and against class as well as racialism. DW online Newsletter (23 January 2019) quotes Tuku saying, “I am glad I can play my part in speaking on HIV prevention, against abuse, molestation, stigma and to make our continent a better place for our children”. The statement clearly shows how much he is concerned with what is happening and intentionally participates to influence the future for the present and future generations. He spoke for the rights of women, farmers and young people and also stood for his culture. In 2011 UNICEF named Oliver Mtukudzi the UNICEF Regional Goodwill ambassador for Eastern and Southern Africa for his work through music because of his clear message on children’s rights. UNICEF blog quoted the UNICEF Regional Director Elhadj As Sy saying, “Mr. Mtukudzi has demonstrated a genuine commitment to communicating strong and clear messages about the importance of child and young people’s rights, including their right to live free from HIV and AIDS”. Many songs were churned around the topic of human rights on different albums and these include, “Street Kids, Nhaka sandibonde, and Neria to name just but a few. Street kid shows how a child who grew up in the street could not enjoy the rights to belong, without identity as strangers called him/her with strange names. In a widely known song Neria he painted the gloomy picture of how a woman’s rights are trashed when she loses her husband. Tuku further encourages Neria that she must not lose heart, God is with her. In both the songs “Ndiwe Mbabvu yangu” and “Huroyi” Tuku cherishes the company he had with his wife and how life is possible with the support of women in general. In fact Tuku echoed that, “He is nothing without her. His life is now hung on her” he confesses in “Ndiwe Mbabvu yangu” (literally translated You are my rib). Tuku daringly included topics on respect for a farmer during the time Zimbabwe grabbed land without compensation and some human rights were trashed on both white farmers and the black people who depended on those farms before the resettlement in early 2000s. He challenged that we all need the farmer who provide food on everybody’s table. He further challenged that, the soil is the soil but the farmer is a human being – in other words it means the farmer as a human being has rights which needs to be respected. Tuku emotionally challenged men saying, “Who can I tell? How will I tell it? It’s frightening! Let me remain quiet, it is terrifying! What has gotten into us, men — raping children before they are mature – it’s terrifying!” in his song, “Tapindwa Nei” (what has gotten into us). He even posed a self retrospective question to men raping minors, “If she was yours how were you going to feel?” he rightly applied the golden rule (Do unto others as you will like it done to you) to try and knock sense into the minds of men who abuse minors.
Tuku’s music is a handful of a package filled with art and message. I loved Oliver’s music since I first began to hear and appreciate music. His acoustic sound soothes my soul and inspired me that I chose an acoustic guitar among many music instruments because of how he played it. I have both learnt the guitar and tried to learn some of his tactics of presenting music with a message for all and as well to speak to a variety of situations affecting people inclusive of both hard subjects and amiable subjects in my gospel music. Tuku through his music taught me to have pride in my identity no matter how other people look down on me maybe due to issues of class, race, gender or age. In his Song, “Dzoka Uyamwe” he speaks about being welcome to our roots. Though people look down upon someone as dark skinned, the person is still welcome to his or her roots with the mother saying, “Come back and suckle, you are still welcome”. In many of his other songs like “Abia ngu” he uses his korekore Shona dialect with pride despite how other sectors of Zimbabwean people look down upon the kore kore people as a minority group in Zimbabwe. He even encouraged us to get back to our traditional meals like dried vegetables saying that you can never run away from your shadow in the song, “Tsika Dzedu” (our culture). It is because that as black African Zimbabwean people we are a cultural people. “Where have some of our traditional foods and clothes gone?” he challenged. Until when are we to run away from our shadow? We will always be together with our shadows.
Tuku united people from across all sectors of society from politicians to philanthropists; from celebrated musicians to the majority muted voices and from Zimbabwean citizens to global citizens inclusive of political enemies were also united at his funeral. A peacemaker he really is both in life and in death. We can learn to be peaceable. He died at the time as the country was still morning the lives of people who were killed from the clampdown on protestors by the security forces and just as the civil servants were still protesting over their salaries. His death marked a pose to all that bringing all people to pay their last respects to a life of a peacemaker. May we as people of Zimbabwe and global citizens learn of things that make for peace.
Phillip Mudzidzi is Pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Gweru and the Director of Nonviolent Conflict Transformation Initiative (NVCTI) in Zimbabwe. He has been involved in peacemaking and conflict transformation for many years. He is also a graduate of the 2013 Kenya TCTT. Phillip Mudzidzi is also a musician. To check out his music click here.
Here is Oliver Mtukudzi singing “Tozeza Baba,” a song against domestic violence, especially how it continues through generations as boys look up to abusive fathers.
Tuku did this Tiny Desk Concert for National Public Radio in the U.S.:
Here the words Tuku wrote when Xenophobia broke out in South Africa when he was on a tour in the United States of America,
“African turns on African
As we forget the long journey we have travelled together
Against similar injustices and persecution form others who sought to subjugate us perpetually.
Over the last few days
I have watched with horror on the news
As xenophobic violence broke out in South Africa
It is unthinkable that in this day and age
When Africa stands on the cusp of the long awaited realization of its greatness
That we can do this sort of thing to one another
My heart and prayer go out to the people who have been affected whatever country they are from
The borders we see today were drawn for us by others
I am urging all South Africans to stand up
And say no to hate the hate of other Africans
No to violence and no to murder
In the same breath
I am calling