Opinion / Columnist
There can only be one Tuku
11 Apr 2015 at 09:09hrs | Views
THE media is vibrating once again on Tuku's fame and fortune. There is a deliberate onslaught on his private life far off the musical icon's successful career path.
Narrow and shallow- minded critics have launched heinous plunder and slander of Tuku's legacy.
Like him or hate him, there will never be another Oliver Mtukudzi in Zimbabwe.
That is the way it always is. Heroes are not replaceable. Great people can be imitated. Heroes are inimitable. When Mukadota said goodbye to the world, Zimbabwe lost an iconic drama-musical comedian. Many imitators mushroomed and tried to fill in the television space, but they were different; so different the nostalgia for Safirio Madzikatire worrisomely grew.
The same can be said about Phillip Gadzikwa Mushangwe, passionately known as Parafini to his fans. The two were brilliant stand-up comedians in their own right.
They made television drama in Zimbabwe deeply hilarious and socially educative.
They were not simple or empty-minded clowns driven by flippant jokes and sick humour as their imitators seem to feed their audiences with today.
Between Nhamo Dzandimomotera in 1976-77 and today, Tuku's career speaks for itself. Between the young Afro-haired Highfield eligible bachelor of the "Shungu dza Amai" fame and today's bald-headed granddad of Tuku music and Mukombe WeMvura, a lot happened and happened successfully, the legend rising with each chart-buster, old wine becoming sweeter and stronger with age.
While quite a few bands left indelible marks on the Zimbabwean musical history, OK Success Band, Green Arrows, Great Sounds, Gypsy Caravan, New Black Montana, Dr Footswitch, to mention only a few, it is Oliver Mtukudzi who singularly made the most enormous legacy on the Zimbabwean music industry.
Indeed the longest, most thriving, most consistent career and most celebrated legacy! The other huge names were Thomas Mapfumo, Paul Matavire, Biggie Tembo, Leonard Dembo and a few others perhaps.
Zimbabweans, including Shepherd Mutamba, must be reminded that heroes are not gods, as much as heroines are not goddesses. Even a hero can have a bullet in his chest," said Dire Straits.
Heroes are all human beings and, as such, fallible. We all have our weaknesses and shortcomings and are all bound to make mistakes in the process of living our lives.
Tuku never said in his pursuit of a music career he intended to simultaneously pursue a life of sainthood. He never said he was an African pope or little Jesus Christ.
But people like Shepherd Mutamba think he was.
Instead of celebrating the legacy for which we all knew Oliver Mtukudzi, namely his Tuku music, he (Mutamba) and other single-brain journalists choose to blow out Tuku's candle, instead of keeping it burning until the last minute of his life. Typical African primitivism! Envy, jealously and sheer sour grapes!
When I first heard about the book ''Tuku Backstage'' I thought it was time to learn more about Tuku from his publicist and old friend, who obviously would pen the icing on Tuku's musical cake.
Alas, little did I know this was Judas Iscariot's chance to betray his ''master'' for a few shillings and pennies.
Ride on your own fame, not others'! If you cannot write about other people's lives, write your own! While many journalists strive to use their pens to celebrate people's achievements and educate their readers, quite a few barbarians continue to find pleasure in peeping through people's private lives and literally kill them in the name of Press freedom. Shame! Shame because most of these character assassins do have untold stories people know but choose not to make their business.
Who doesn't have or has not had problems in their marriage or relationships? Who doesn't or has not had problems with their child or children?
Who in life has not said or done something that they should not have? If you haven't, is there a divine surety that it will never happen?
Let us be thoughtful about this.
If the State President out of his generosity or calculated philanthropy decided to give Tuku a car, a helicopter a private jet, Tuku should have said "No your Excellency,'' in order to please Shepherd Mutamba?
If the State President gave Shepherd Mutamba state-of-the-art equipment for his job, whatever it is now, or a piece of land, what would Robert Mugabe be silencing him from or about?
If I were the President of Zimbabwe, which I am sure I must never dream to become, I would simply tell Oliver to mind his size and shut up — period!
What would Tuku do? Simple, short, straight and to the point! Why would I give him expensive state-of-the-art musical equipment?
I am sure both Oliver Mtukudzi and the State President are both far above the level of giving to silence someone and receiving to be silenced.
This kind of journalism: ''Tuku Silenced by President's Gifts'' or ''Tuku's Chaotic Life'' only serves to expose the miserable small-mindedness of some of the ''veteran'' journalists we have today, their failure to distinguish intelligently and deeply between issue and tissue.
If journalists are corruptly obsessed with money, cars and women given as gifts to buy silence, it is not surprising that they think every human being does the same.
Finally to Shepherd Mutamba and other Pull-Him-Down journalists, "Blowing out someone's candle will never make yours brighter. That's one!
Two, you are cowards! How many skeletons in the closet do you know about other individuals, for example, politicians?
Why don't you expose their chaotic love lives, scandals, failures and problems?
Mtukudzi is a soft target, is he not, for your shameless eyes, ears and pens?
If he were a top-shelf politician, what would you write? Who does not have a 'Backstage)? Why do you not write about politicians' Backstages? If you are brave?
Oliver Mtukudzi did not kiss the First Lady's hand. Michael Jackson did when he visited Zimbabwe a few years ago. What did she, or indeed the first family, want to silence MJ about?
Was it Chatunga or another of the president's children who said he loved MJ's music? What silence were they buying from him?
And the same president once publicly said he enjoyed listening to Charles Charamba's music. What did he want Charamba to be silent about?
Tuku only and Tuku alone, eh, must not receive praise, acknowledgment and gifts from the State President? Really, Shepherd?
How many were given farms and pieces of land and they celebrated, "Haleluyaa'? Why did you not write "Backstages" and Gifts to buy silence?
How many scholarships did the president give to individual students, computers to schools, etc? He wanted these to be silent about what?
Whether one is someone's publicist or ''veteran'' journalist, surely the nation expects intelligent writing, reasonable analysis and responsible reporting, not the kind of poverty dominating some newspapers and magazines today.
Go, Tuku, Goo!
Narrow and shallow- minded critics have launched heinous plunder and slander of Tuku's legacy.
Like him or hate him, there will never be another Oliver Mtukudzi in Zimbabwe.
That is the way it always is. Heroes are not replaceable. Great people can be imitated. Heroes are inimitable. When Mukadota said goodbye to the world, Zimbabwe lost an iconic drama-musical comedian. Many imitators mushroomed and tried to fill in the television space, but they were different; so different the nostalgia for Safirio Madzikatire worrisomely grew.
The same can be said about Phillip Gadzikwa Mushangwe, passionately known as Parafini to his fans. The two were brilliant stand-up comedians in their own right.
They made television drama in Zimbabwe deeply hilarious and socially educative.
They were not simple or empty-minded clowns driven by flippant jokes and sick humour as their imitators seem to feed their audiences with today.
Between Nhamo Dzandimomotera in 1976-77 and today, Tuku's career speaks for itself. Between the young Afro-haired Highfield eligible bachelor of the "Shungu dza Amai" fame and today's bald-headed granddad of Tuku music and Mukombe WeMvura, a lot happened and happened successfully, the legend rising with each chart-buster, old wine becoming sweeter and stronger with age.
While quite a few bands left indelible marks on the Zimbabwean musical history, OK Success Band, Green Arrows, Great Sounds, Gypsy Caravan, New Black Montana, Dr Footswitch, to mention only a few, it is Oliver Mtukudzi who singularly made the most enormous legacy on the Zimbabwean music industry.
Indeed the longest, most thriving, most consistent career and most celebrated legacy! The other huge names were Thomas Mapfumo, Paul Matavire, Biggie Tembo, Leonard Dembo and a few others perhaps.
Zimbabweans, including Shepherd Mutamba, must be reminded that heroes are not gods, as much as heroines are not goddesses. Even a hero can have a bullet in his chest," said Dire Straits.
Heroes are all human beings and, as such, fallible. We all have our weaknesses and shortcomings and are all bound to make mistakes in the process of living our lives.
Tuku never said in his pursuit of a music career he intended to simultaneously pursue a life of sainthood. He never said he was an African pope or little Jesus Christ.
But people like Shepherd Mutamba think he was.
Instead of celebrating the legacy for which we all knew Oliver Mtukudzi, namely his Tuku music, he (Mutamba) and other single-brain journalists choose to blow out Tuku's candle, instead of keeping it burning until the last minute of his life. Typical African primitivism! Envy, jealously and sheer sour grapes!
When I first heard about the book ''Tuku Backstage'' I thought it was time to learn more about Tuku from his publicist and old friend, who obviously would pen the icing on Tuku's musical cake.
Alas, little did I know this was Judas Iscariot's chance to betray his ''master'' for a few shillings and pennies.
Ride on your own fame, not others'! If you cannot write about other people's lives, write your own! While many journalists strive to use their pens to celebrate people's achievements and educate their readers, quite a few barbarians continue to find pleasure in peeping through people's private lives and literally kill them in the name of Press freedom. Shame! Shame because most of these character assassins do have untold stories people know but choose not to make their business.
Who doesn't have or has not had problems in their marriage or relationships? Who doesn't or has not had problems with their child or children?
Who in life has not said or done something that they should not have? If you haven't, is there a divine surety that it will never happen?
Let us be thoughtful about this.
If the State President out of his generosity or calculated philanthropy decided to give Tuku a car, a helicopter a private jet, Tuku should have said "No your Excellency,'' in order to please Shepherd Mutamba?
If the State President gave Shepherd Mutamba state-of-the-art equipment for his job, whatever it is now, or a piece of land, what would Robert Mugabe be silencing him from or about?
If I were the President of Zimbabwe, which I am sure I must never dream to become, I would simply tell Oliver to mind his size and shut up — period!
What would Tuku do? Simple, short, straight and to the point! Why would I give him expensive state-of-the-art musical equipment?
I am sure both Oliver Mtukudzi and the State President are both far above the level of giving to silence someone and receiving to be silenced.
This kind of journalism: ''Tuku Silenced by President's Gifts'' or ''Tuku's Chaotic Life'' only serves to expose the miserable small-mindedness of some of the ''veteran'' journalists we have today, their failure to distinguish intelligently and deeply between issue and tissue.
If journalists are corruptly obsessed with money, cars and women given as gifts to buy silence, it is not surprising that they think every human being does the same.
Finally to Shepherd Mutamba and other Pull-Him-Down journalists, "Blowing out someone's candle will never make yours brighter. That's one!
Two, you are cowards! How many skeletons in the closet do you know about other individuals, for example, politicians?
Why don't you expose their chaotic love lives, scandals, failures and problems?
Mtukudzi is a soft target, is he not, for your shameless eyes, ears and pens?
If he were a top-shelf politician, what would you write? Who does not have a 'Backstage)? Why do you not write about politicians' Backstages? If you are brave?
Oliver Mtukudzi did not kiss the First Lady's hand. Michael Jackson did when he visited Zimbabwe a few years ago. What did she, or indeed the first family, want to silence MJ about?
Was it Chatunga or another of the president's children who said he loved MJ's music? What silence were they buying from him?
And the same president once publicly said he enjoyed listening to Charles Charamba's music. What did he want Charamba to be silent about?
Tuku only and Tuku alone, eh, must not receive praise, acknowledgment and gifts from the State President? Really, Shepherd?
How many were given farms and pieces of land and they celebrated, "Haleluyaa'? Why did you not write "Backstages" and Gifts to buy silence?
How many scholarships did the president give to individual students, computers to schools, etc? He wanted these to be silent about what?
Whether one is someone's publicist or ''veteran'' journalist, surely the nation expects intelligent writing, reasonable analysis and responsible reporting, not the kind of poverty dominating some newspapers and magazines today.
Go, Tuku, Goo!
Source - manicapost
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
