Tuku’s emotionally charged musical Masango Bodo exploded in Harare last night. 
The show, running for about an hour and a half, fuses various art forms into a magical tapestry of tales involving over 20 artists and featuring the vocal talents of Oliver Mtukudzi himself, daughter Selmor, Pauline Gundidza, Munya Mataruse, Chiyedza Chevatendi and others.
MasangaBodo premiered last night at 7 Arts Theatre in Harare. Dates for future performances will be announced in due course and a DVD of the show will be made available soon.
The show, running for about an hour and a half, fuses various art forms into a magical tapestry of tales involving over 20 artists and featuring the vocal talents of Oliver Mtukudzi himself, daughter Selmor, Pauline Gundidza, Munya Mataruse, Chiyedza Chevatendi and others.MasangaBodo premiered last night at 7 Arts Theatre in Harare. Dates for future performances will be announced in due course and a DVD of the show will be made available soon.
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| Pauline Gundiza sings 'Nyarara Kuchema' to the Mtukudzi family. |
The show starts off with a performance of Ndizvo Zvazviri by Jackie Nyamutumbu then Tuku comes in with his opening song, Yanhopi.
A poignant moment in the musical is when Tuku and his wife take a seat, centre of a darkened stage. Tuku has a hand on his wife’s shoulder. A spotlight shines upon them and Pauline Gundidza walks in singing Nyarara Kuchema (stop crying).
A poignant moment in the musical is when Tuku and his wife take a seat, centre of a darkened stage. Tuku has a hand on his wife’s shoulder. A spotlight shines upon them and Pauline Gundidza walks in singing Nyarara Kuchema (stop crying).
In our minds, we are immediately taken back to the painful loss that the couple had to endure a few years ago, that of their son, a talented musician in his own right, Sam Mtukudzi, who died in 2010. As Pauline powerfully delivers the lyrics to the song, tears form in Tuku’s wife’s eyes.
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| Tuku and wife sing the title song, 'Masanga Bodo'. |
Daughter Selmor is on next, singing another song which reminds us about Sam’s death. “Muroyi ndiyani apedza hama (who is the witch who has finished our relatives)?” she sings. As the last notes of the song filter through the auditorium, Tuku, strides onto the stage and arm in arm they walk off together.
MCs ExQ, Pauline Gundidza and Jackie Nyamutumbu keep the audience entertained and cleverly link the songs to each other, as the transitions between them happen.
When the title song, Masanga Bodo, comes on, the air is electric. Mai Mtukudzi starts it off. There seems to be a problem with her microphone though, and we can hardly hear her voice. Then Tuku’s voice steps in, before he himself physically joins her on stage. As they sing and dance together on stage, the audience applauds and cheers periodically. Tuku is in his element and his wife, performing on a stage like this for the first time, gives it her all.
Another powerful part of the musical is the performance of one of Tuku’s most well known songs, Neria, by Chiyedza Chevatendi. As the group sings, Mrs Mtukudzi sits in the centre of the stage on a chair, listening. It is a totally heartrending and, as Pauline says to the audience afterwards, “fitting tribute to all the strong women out there.”
The show rounds off with more powerful performances. Tuku performs a song written by Selmor, titled Ugere, which talks about how nothing will come one’s way if they sit there and do nothing. Then Munya Mataruse does Tsika Dzedu, another popular Tuku song.
The last song is Sons of Africa, and all the artists join in, but after the crowd asks for more the curtain comes up again and the full cast joins Tuku in singing his renowned and very danceable track, Bombera.
The costumes, themes, music and theatrical elements of this musical make it a very different Tuku experience, but one which, as many of those who were in the audience told us, is a totally memorable production and a definite ‘must-see. ZIMBOJAM
MCs ExQ, Pauline Gundidza and Jackie Nyamutumbu keep the audience entertained and cleverly link the songs to each other, as the transitions between them happen.
When the title song, Masanga Bodo, comes on, the air is electric. Mai Mtukudzi starts it off. There seems to be a problem with her microphone though, and we can hardly hear her voice. Then Tuku’s voice steps in, before he himself physically joins her on stage. As they sing and dance together on stage, the audience applauds and cheers periodically. Tuku is in his element and his wife, performing on a stage like this for the first time, gives it her all.
Another powerful part of the musical is the performance of one of Tuku’s most well known songs, Neria, by Chiyedza Chevatendi. As the group sings, Mrs Mtukudzi sits in the centre of the stage on a chair, listening. It is a totally heartrending and, as Pauline says to the audience afterwards, “fitting tribute to all the strong women out there.”
The show rounds off with more powerful performances. Tuku performs a song written by Selmor, titled Ugere, which talks about how nothing will come one’s way if they sit there and do nothing. Then Munya Mataruse does Tsika Dzedu, another popular Tuku song.
The last song is Sons of Africa, and all the artists join in, but after the crowd asks for more the curtain comes up again and the full cast joins Tuku in singing his renowned and very danceable track, Bombera.
The costumes, themes, music and theatrical elements of this musical make it a very different Tuku experience, but one which, as many of those who were in the audience told us, is a totally memorable production and a definite ‘must-see. ZIMBOJAM
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