Bidding farewell to the legend of Afro-jazz, Oliver Mtukudzi

Africa has lost an icon, a music legend who was loved by many. If you got a chance to listen to his music or attend a live performance, then you’d bare witness of just how a great an artiste he was. His influence transcended the African continent. He was a man of the people.

Zimbabwean musician Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, a star of Afro-jazz who won a following across the continent and beyond, died on Wednesday at the age of 66.

He passed away at the Avenues Hospital in Harare. The cause of death was not immediately known.

The lanky self-taught guitarist was a legend in the vibrant cross-genre music of Afro-jazz, with more than 60 albums under his belt in a career that spanned 45 years.

“We’ve lost an icon,” Zimbabwean lawmaker Temba Mliswa said on Twitter.

“I’m writing to the president to make him a national hero for his national contribution to the music, arts and culture industry.”

Mtukudzi’s work, dubbed “Tuku music”, was a mixture of ethnic styles, including the Zulu-rooted mbaqanga from South Africa, and drew on diverse instruments, including Zimbabwe’s mbira, a metal-tined, hand-held instrument.

His lyrics, delivered through rasping vocals, often carried social messages about HIV/AIDS and alcohol abuse and encouraging self-respect, sometimes invoking proverbs and wisdom from his mother tongue, Shona.

He was rated by Forbes magazine one of Africa’s 10 most bankable artists and some experts ranked him alongside Senegal’s Salif Keita and Youssou N’Dour for his innovation and influence.

He was also famed for his philanthropy and defence of human rights, and served as a goodwill ambassador for the UN children’s charity Unicef.

In an interview last March, Mtukudzi dismissed the acclaim, saying “I don’t even understand the word celebrity”.

Instead, he said, he set great store by the words of his mother, who declared he would never sing a note better than his first scream after his birth.

“It means when I was born I had already started singing. This is who I am.”

Following his death people have been paying tribute to him on social media: from South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, artistes such as Sauti Sol, Diamond Platnumz and the rest all paid their tribute to a fallen legend.

Mtukudzi made his first visit to Tanzania as a UNICEF Regional Ambassador for Eastern and Southern Africa in 2012. During his visit, he helped raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and child protection.

His first stop during the two-day visit was in Hai District in the Kilimanjaro Region, where he highlighted the issue of abuse and violence against children and celebrated important progress made in addressing these problems.

In 2016, the Afro-jazz musician performed in Dar es Salaam at the East Africa Vibes concert. His performance was highly praised. During an interview with a local media channel, Mtukudzi advised Tanzanian artistes to embrace their authenticity as Tanzanians and use it as a trademark globally.

Rise to prominence

Mtukudzi came to prominence in the 1970s as one of voices of the revolution fighting white-minority rule.

His lyrics often carried social messages about HIV/Aids and coded political commentary.

His 2001 song Wasakara, meaning “You Are Too Old”, was banned as it was seen as a reference to leader Robert Mugabe, who was ousted 16 years later aged 93.

The singer and guitarist mixed several different styles to create his own distinctive Afro-jazz sound, known to his fans as “Tuku Music”.

In a long career he released 67 albums and toured the world.

US-based Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo, with whom he started his career prior to independence in 1980, paid tribute to a “great musician”.

“He was a freedom fighter - that’s what I can say about him,” Mapfumo told the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio programme.

“I loved his voice and the way he used to write his music. He was such a great inspiration to those who were upcoming.”

Mtukudzi often performed one of his famous tracks Neria, about the strength of women and how they should take their place and not feel inferior to men, whenever he was on tour abroad.

Affectionately known as “Tuku”, his name immediately started trending on Twitter as people paid tribute to him.

But as Zimbabweans come together to mourn the musician, correspondents say there are fears the government will use his death to divert attention from the brutal crackdown on protesters and the country’s economic woes.

Oliver Mtukudzi’s last album was filled with emotion. Called Hanya’Ga, which translates as “Concern” in the Shona language, it came out last February - three months after Mr Mugabe, who had ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, was ousted.

It felt like he had taken his gloves off and was able to express his real concerns about the country’s future. From child marriage to the economic meltdown and worries about a lack of concern for human life - he tackled it all.

It was a rallying call for unity among Zimbabweans - a wake-up call to do something to uplift the country’s future outlook. It was a cry for help.