Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Ruth Butaumocho
15 September 2008
Harare — Harare on fire! The above statement aptly captures the mood and fireworks that superstar Oliver Mtukudzi ignited in Harare on Saturday night when he played before a capacity crowd that braved the chilly night to attend his homecoming show at Andy Millar Hall in the Harare Exhibition Park.
Tuku who performed in the country for the first time without his long time band member and katekwe dancer, Picky Kasamba proved that age had not caught up with him but had actually moulded him into a better performer .
At the age of 56, the superstar can still bring the house down, something he undoubtedly did flawlessly, with the crowd lending its support by chanting along his Yah yah yah trademark.
He started off the show with an old classic and immediately got a rousing response from the crowd that sang along to the tune with gusto and verve.
Showing his humility, Tuku who has more than 40 albums to his name belted several of his old time classics including Wasakara, Tozeza Baba, Ziwere, Hope, Todii, Help Me Lord and all these hits were played to their usual acclaim.
The show was at one time, marred by poor lighting and sound system that kept giving a hollow and noisy feedback, occasionally interrupting an otherwise flawless performance from the ensemble, back from the United Kingdom.
But of course, one could not help but notice Picky's absence.
Throughout the show, Tuku tried hard with the assistance of one his female backing vocalists, Namatayi Mubariki to create the exhilarating choreography of his katekwe dance that had for years become one of the musician's major highlights.
Apart from that yawn, his homecoming show was a well-packaged show that left fans crying for more.
His trademark signing off song, Ndima Ndapedza put a seal to a show worth anyone's money as it came to close in the early hours of Sunday.
The gig ended Tuku's long absence from home and indeed quenched the anxiety and nolstagia that had gripped his fans as they patiently waited for his return.
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