By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
A tribute lunch in honour of Chimurenga music legend — Dr Thomas Mapfumo — is planned before year end, his manager Sam Mataure has said.
Mataure who was the brains behind a similar tribute function held in 2013 in honour of the national hero and legend Oliver Mtukudzi, said Dr Mapfumo or simply Mukanya to his legion of fans, deserved the same recognition.
“I don’t believe that we should wait until someone’s death to just thank you and tell them how we appreciate them.
“We held a Tuku Tribute Dinner and this time around we are organizing a tribute lunch for Mukanya so that his fans can actually show him their appreciation while he is still alive. And we intend not to stop with Mukanya we also want to do the same thing for Zex Manatsa, there is no doubt he has been through it all in music and it is about time we honour him in that regard,” he said.
Mataure who is also a veteran drummer and jazz aficionado said when Tuku died two years ago, he was happy that he had honoured him while he was alive.
“It is very important for fans to be able to tell their legends how much their craft or work impacted their lives while they are still alive. When Mudhara Tuku died I did not have anything to say at his funeral because I had an opportunity to tell him that ‘Mudhara munopenga henyu asi muri bho’,” he jokingly said.
The United States based Mukanya who will be turning 75-years-old this year is one of the granddads of music in Zimbabwe.
Backed by the Blacks Unlimited, Mukanya has contributed immensely to the Zimbabwean industry and also put the country on the music map.
Known for his protest songs which speak against corruption, segregation, oppression and colonialism, Mukanya is never one to sugar coat or bootlick anyone. He says as it is.
Controversial at times but Mukanya represents the downtrodden masses and he speaks his mind.
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