Tuku

Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi was born on 22 September 1952 in Harare, Zimbabwe, in a family of musicians with his father, mother, sisters and a brother having been all very notable singers.

Mauritania is situated on the fault line between Moorish North Africa and sub-Saharan black Africa. As you travel south from its northern border with Morocco, the unrelenting lifelessness of the deep desert cross fades into the dry bushy scrubland of the 'coast' or sahel, as the Arabs used to call it, of the southern grasslands and forests. A big river, the Senegal, marks the southern boundary of this modern nation state. Although the lighter skinned Moors have always held political and social power in the country, more than half the population belong to black ethnic groups; Toucouleur, Fulbe, Soninke and Wolof. The country always lived comfortably with its own ethnic and cultural diversity, until the late 1980s, when dark forces disturbed this harmony and bitter inter-ethnic conflict held sway for a while.

The legacy of music in the Mtukudzi family has been proudly handed over from one generation to another as Tuku’s own children are recorded musicians. Mtukudzi, known more commonly by his stage name Tuku, has become an international brand through his music and humanitarian work especially that involving disadvantaged children.

UNICEF conferred Tuku the regional Goodwill Ambassador for Eastern and Southern Africa while several other international humanitarian bodies have awarded him prestigious accolades for championing the rights of children and women through his music. He works in advocacy areas of HIV and Aids, diabetes, malaria and cholera and is building a classroom block for children still learning in hovels in the Zimbabwe.

Tuku has devoted his fortune to a state-of-the-art community academy of the arts, Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton, near Harare, whose thrust is developing young artistic talent across art forms. The usage of the facilities is entirely for free. Forbes Magazine named Tuku the 12th most powerful and influential celebrity in Africa in October 2011 out of a list of 40 other legends. He was the only celebrity from his country featured by the magazine.

As of 2011 Tuku had recorded 60 musical albums and several short films that he has produced and whose themes are all nearly based on societal daily life experiences embodying love, tolerance and peace.

Tuku’s kind of music is self-titled Tuku Music - basically an African traditional beat blending the feel of the mbira and marimba but largely the katekwe influence from his Dande home region in northernmost remote Zimbabwe. But his inimitable acoustic guitar accompanied by the distinguishable raspy voice is the true Tuku trademark.

Tuku’s music is characterized by innuendos. He believes the power of art is the ability to communicate figuratively and still be understood universally. But the overriding theme, in all his music is self-discipline – an outstanding human quality in Tuku himself.

Music is Tuku’s life and daily life experiences make his music. Tuku’s philosophy is that as long as mankind exists, there will always be something to talk about. And if there is something to talk about there will always be something to sing about.

– Biography credit: Shepherd Mutamba, publicist for Tuku. www.tukumusik.com