Hitting the Right Note

By+Rachel+Richez

“ive been listening to Oliver Mtukudzi all my life. He is one of the people we look at as an icon because he has been consistent in [his] music. So to me， meeting him is like a lifetime achievement. I am going to tell my kids about this，”said a starry-eyed， breathless Blessing Neganje.

The 29-year-old Zimbabwean was among those who had flocked to the A.C. Embassy Hotel to attend the first China concert of their famous compatriot. The Zimbabwean musician and philanthropist came with his group， The Black Spirits， and his wife Daisy.

Though the majority of the audience were Africans， Chinese aficionados also came to enjoy the show. African dignitaries， such as the ambassadors of Zimbabwe and Botswana， too， attended the November 5 concert. But as Neganje said， they came not only for the music but to meet a legend.

After four decades in the music industry， and more than 50 albums， Mtukudzi is more than a musician； he represents Zimbabwe， and Africa.

“I am an African， born of Zimbabwe”

Nourished by traditional African rhythms （the mbira， the mbaqanga and the jiti）， Mtukudzis music has deep African roots. By singing in three languages - his native Shona， English and Ndebele- the 64-year-old has become a symbol of Zimbabwes diversity. His unique and recognizable style is known as tuku.

The artist proudly confirms this African identity.“I am an African， born of Zimbabwe， so my music is broad， its not only for Zimbabwe， its for Africa，”he told ChinAfrica.

His first trip to China was organized by the Appreciate Africa Network to celebrate its third anniversary. Founded in 2013 by Zimbabwean Samantha Sibanda， the organization aims to create awareness about “Africa， African people and their culture” in China. To this purpose， the network organizes events all year long， such as Miss Plus Size International， African Achievers Awards and Africa Night Speech Contest.

Sibanda said she had never thought he would actually agree to come all the way to China. What had made her issue the invitation was that besides the fame， she believes Mtukudzi embodies her associations ideas.

“He represents change， revolution， which is what I am about with the Appreciate Africa Network. So for me， he was an ideal person because even though he is from Zimbabwe， he represents the whole of Africa， so he was the perfect person for this moment.”

Mtukudzi has been praised for his involvement in just causes. In 2003， he participated in a pan-African album， Drop the Debt. With other famous African stars， like Cape Verdean diva Cesaria Evora， he campaigned for the cancellation of the debt of poor countries.

In 2011， his charisma was reaffirmed by his appointment as the UNICEF goodwill ambassador for the Southern African region. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in ethnomusicology and choreography， bestowed by the Great Zimbabwe University in 2014.

Universal music

The purpose of songs， Mtukudzi believes， is to touch the heart. “Im glad to say that my music has merits to be able to touch hearts. For all ages， for everybody， as long as you have a heart， my music goes through.”

He has toured Africa， the United Kingdom and North America. In China， his music had arrived much before he did in Beijing. Before the concert started， a 34-year-old Chinese， Zhang Lixia， went onstage and amazed the audience singing one of Mtukudzis most famous songs， Neria. The Zim- babwean musician was as impressed as the audience and started filming the performance， and then finally joining her.

Originally from Shanxi Province， Zhang discovered the song when she participated in Miss Plus Size International. “I didnt know his music before because he is not known in China but I like his music. Its very catchy，”she told ChinAfrica.

Her surprise act thrilled Mtukudzi， who believes in the uniting and universal power of music： “Music is the best tool to unite people. If you can sing a song that crosses borders to the next country， then it is serving its purpose.”

When the legend finally stepped on stage， the audience could still not believe he was in front of them. They first stared in disbelief， filming every move he made， then slowly started dancing to the sound of the familiar songs until they were all singing along too.

After the concert， one thing was clear， the years and fame have not lessened Mtukudzis passion. When asked by ChinAfrica if he still enjoyed performing as much as he did when in his 20s， a smiling Mtukudzi answered without any hesitation： “Oh yes！ I cant run away from myself， I enjoy that.”

China did not disappoint the Zimbabwean musician， who is already planning his next visit： “I am looking forward to come back and do a proper tour of China， so that I can visit different cities and different people. Chinese are Chinese， Africans are Africans， but as an artist， my purpose is to unite people.”