Tuku talks
>> Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi speaks for the street kids

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Alongside chimurenga chief Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi is a musical giant of the volatile African nation of Zimbabwe. For 25 years, he’s been building his own “Tuku music” style, blending trad mbira thumb-piano melodies and percussive katekwe, township mbaqanga and zesty Zimbabwean jit. Over rich yet relaxed rhythms and riffs, his deep, coarse voice enunciates homespun wisdom and political parables, warning his fans about AIDS, corruption and the plight of homeless kids.
“The definition ‘street children’ struck me right from the start,” he explains over the phone from a Texas hotel. “How come they’re called that? Where do they come from? Because I don’t believe there is a street child. They come from somewhere—they come from us. So that was my very first concern, to try to elaborate on the definition of a street kid.”

This led to Mtukudzi’s Was My Child, a musical on the topic which toured through all of Zimbabwe. “When I was doing my research for a song about street children, I came up with this young boy, Tony, who explained why he was in the street. It was because of the war situation, which had just ended in Zimbabwe. He had a faint idea of where his parents were, and he never wanted to be in the street. He wanted to go home. That inspired me, writing his story, combined with those of different children, to come up with a musical play.”
Mtukudzi has in turn inspired many, from Zimbabwean youngsters building on his style to no less than Bonnie Raitt, the first lady of American roots music. A stellar rendition of Mtukudzi’s “Hear Me Lord” appears on her latest, Silver Lining.

“The idea of another artist doing your song, that alone lets you know you’ve done something convincing. You know, musicians are very difficult to convince, because they are in the field, and what they look for in a song is not what a public man looks for.” :

At the Spectrum on Wednesday, May 8, 8pm, $35