Last weekend, there were two equally attractive music festivals happening at the same time, one within Harare and the other at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton, namely The Zimbabwe Jazz Festival 2024 and the Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of the Arts respectively.

I found myself between the horns of a dilemma as I could not immediately decide on which event to attend.

However, despite Ibbo Mandaza’s persuasion, I made up my mind to attend the Zimbabwe Jazz Festival due to the fact that there were two artistes, NNavy and Paul Lunga whose performances I desperately wanted to see. Both these acts live outside Zimbabwe, the first one in Switzerland and the latter in Britain.

I decided that due to the distance from Harare, I will see all the local artistes performing at Pakare Paye somewhere else at a later date. These included Jah Prayzah, Selmor  Mtukudzi, Bryan K, Feli Nandi, Andy Muridzo, Gemma Griffiths and a few more.

With my mind made up, off I went to the Alliance Francaise venue. There were seven acts lined up from 4pm until 10pm I missed the first act, The Hellenic Big Band, by a few minutes as they were performing their last song when I arrived. The next act was Steve Chikotie who gave his all in an energetic act supported by Mutare-based artistes who included Blessing Mparutsa on drums.

This was followed by Rhythmic Pulse which included Clancy Mbirimi on bass and Trust Samende on guitar.

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It was now time to see the incredible 26 year old singer/songwriter, NNavy , a black sister from Switzerland  backed by an all-white four piece band. She was cool, calm and collected on stage. Most of us did not know the soulful and jazzy songs that she sang but towards the end, she wowed the audience with her golden voice as everybody sang along to her own rendition of a familiar tune, Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together. Other songs included So Much and Come and Get It.

Now it was Paul Lunga’s turn. I last saw him perform 20 or so years ago in Bulawayo. Paul is now based in England. He reminds me of the late Hugh Masekela on his trumpet. Paul performed several tunes but the audience was mesmerised during his act when he called his charismatic wife to the stage. She  got everyone moving when she belted out a Miriam Makeba tune: Pata Pata as the crowd sang along: Saguquka sathi bheka nants’ ipata pata.

As they say, dynamite comes in small packages. Despite her petite stature, Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana proved that she packs a powerful and vivacious punch up in weight class. She came on stage with a powerful and emotive performance leaving everyone captivated and spell bound by her sizzling rhythms and tunes such as in B.P. Yangu Yakwira and  Brian Rusike’s Ruva Rangu. It is after this tune that she in meditation reminded us all how she had worked amicably with the late Kelly Rusike. Prudence stole the night with her strong soulful voice.

The last act was Aggabu Nyabinde, the late Bob Nyabinde’s son who with a team of five other musicians including his own brother, Albert, gave us a rendition of his father’s Pane Nyaya tune together with six other songs.

All in all, this was a well-organised show, thanks to the The Zimbabwe Jazz Community Trust, in partnership with the Alliance Française of Zimbabwe.

 I was pleased with my choice on which gig to attend. I even met with colleagues I had not seen for sometime. These included Ophthalmologist, Solomon Guramatunhu, othopaedic surgeon and clinical director, George Vera, Bonnie Mauchaza a specialist surgeon and Herbert Murerwa, Zimbabwe’s former Finance minister. They all looked relaxed having been away from their taxing jobs in everyday life.  I have a list of other eminent people and artistes who were present,  including Mono Mukundu, Lincoln Mutasa, Tony Mutero, Filbert Marova, Hope Masike, Kundisai Mutero, Comfort Mbofana, Maureen Mutasa Chirikure Chirikure and Penny Yon,  who formed part of the 500 plus audience, but it would take up the whole space to list everyone I met at this awesome gig.

 Now let us move on to a different venue. Unfortunately, I did not go to Pakare Paye, but I was interested in everything going on there. I was informed that Selmor failed to sing  due to an emotional outburst about how she felt she was not being treated like Oliver Mtukudzi’s child. Since I was not present to interview Daisy Mtukudzi or Selmor, I shall not take sides on this topic as my thinking must fairly represent, and be based on a reasonable and valid interpretation of the information available on the subject. To find out what fresh hell has befallen us, read some of the comments I picked up from various sources:

 John Jabangwe said: ” We paid our good money for entertainment but instead there was a fight between Daisy and Selmor. This dispute started even when Oliver was still alive and it will not end there. Both mother and daughter need counselling.”

 Eddie Mtetwa  commented as follows:  “Daisy should not be so cruel. She is a mother too. If you see your step-daughter with tears down to her chin in front of the public, you know she deserves sympathy.”

Fungisayi Zvakavapano-Mashavave expressed regret over not advising Selmor on how to handle her grievances. Her advice was: “If I were in Selmor’s shoes, I would have simply apologised for whatever mistakes Daisy thinks I made as a child.” She thinks Selmor should have said. “Mama, thank you for the opportunity. I am sorry if we wronged you when we were little girls. Please forgive us. And end there”.

Redemer Magwere disagrees and says: “What’s there to apologise for? Selmor did what she thought was right for her. Who are you to judge?”

In my mind, Tuku deserves more respect than what is going on now.

 That aside, Mandaza, a politician, academic, businessman and the director of a local think-tank Sapes Trust who is also the convener of the proposed Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation had briefed me on the speech he was going to give at the Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation which is shown below:

“In conjunction with the Mtukudzi family, comrades and friends across the region and beyond, and the Department of National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, I have pleasure and the honour as the sponsor of this initiative, to announce hereby the launch of the process towards the establishment of the Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation. The objectives of this initiative are self explanatory: to honour one of Zimbabwe’s music icon to posterity; erect a museum and his statue at his homestead in Madziva, to store and flaunt the record of his music and, in doing so, create a national attraction for Zimbabweans and foreign tourists alike; and mobilise resources through which young musicians can benefit from scholarships out of the Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation.

Indeed, this is far from a novel initiative in a world wherein other nations have sought to honour their artists in recent years. A notable example is that of the Bob Marley Monument in Kingston, Jamaica — a precedent that informs our initiative hereby. In the final analysis, the establishment of the Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation will not only constitute an important milestone in the history of arts and culture in Zimbabwe, but also contribute to the development of the country’s national heritage and identity.

Accordingly, we will be seeking support and resources through which to build the Foundation, initially to meet the costs of erecting the museum and statue at the Mtukudzi homestead in Madziva, and in the long run to establish an Endowment Fund to sustain the Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation to posterity.

So, herewith the clarion call to all Zimbabweans at home and abroad, corporations and financial institutions across the subregion and beyond, our philanthropists across the continent - let’s support a good cause. Here, too, is an opportunity for Zimbabwean musicians and other artists to come to the party, create events through which to raise funds for the Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation. 

The Foundation itself is already work in progress, as the membership thereof is being carefully crafted in consultation with the Mtukudzi family, the National Arts Council and eminent persons across the region and beyond.  As sponsors of this initiative, we have already secured the help of Zimbabwe’s largest bank CBZ which will hold the account of the Foundation and ensure that its security, management and accountability on the part of the office holders of the Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Foundation. Accordingly, a firm of lawyers and that of accountants will be appointed as part of the Foundation’s portfolio.  

 The foundation will be launched in the not too distant future, but certainly before Oliver’s anniversary on January 23 2025, the date by which we also hope to celebrate the opening of the Oliver Mtukudzi Memorial Museum and unveil his statue at the Madziva homestead.”

Now, that is progress. People with wisdom have come to sort out the Tuku inheritance problem.  We hope there will not be any future disputes.

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