Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Entertainment Hub
TOP South African saxophonist and flautist Steve Dyer, has praised mbira princess Hope Masike and fellow diva Selmor Mtukudzi for their creative edge.
A long-time friend of the late Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, Dyer sees a bright future in the hard-working duo.
Dyer hailed the two during his recent show at Alliance Française in Harare, where he also shared the stage with Masike, Josh Meck, and Tendai “Tendex” Madzviti.
In an interview with Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub, Dyer spoke glowingly about the duo.
“It’s always a marvel sharing the stage with Hope Masike because she is immensely talented. We simply click, and you can easily see the chemistry between us,” Dyer praised the diva.
“When the idea came for us to hold this joint show here in Harare, I didn’t think twice, because she is someone I have worked with and I will continue doing that for years to come.
“I simply love her professionalism, work ethic, and everything you can think of.”
Dyer also praised Masike for her consistency and remarkable evolution.
“Masike is a special talent that we need to embrace as Africa. I also rank her highly in the same league as Selmor Mtukudzi.
“For Selmor, I have also worked with her both in the studio and on stage,” he remarked. “By the way, I was close to her father, and I also treat her as my own daughter. She is one of the finest artistes in Zimbabwe.
“I will always cherish her hard work, and I like their combination with Tendai Manatsa — the husband.”
Dyer has vowed to continue supporting Selmor the same way he did for the late Tuku.
“My door is always open if she needs anything from me. I can’t be tough on her because we need each other in this profession of ours.
“We don’t need to be stingy at all, since the music business is all about complementing each other and making remarkable progress.
“We can also make progress as a team and make it to the stars through hard work as usual. In my case, I am glad that I can see immense talent in her.”
He also praised Jeys Marabini as one of the finest crooners he has worked with, both locally and in South Africa.
“Zimbabwe has a lot of talent, and one of them is Jeys Marabini. I had forgotten him on my list of Zimbabwe’s finest musicians, and I am glad he is doing very well at the moment.
“I like his style of music because it reminds me of Tuku. He has the same resemblance as Tuku, and I will always cherish the good memories we had together,” he added.
In another interview, Masike was all smiles after being praised by Dyer for her amazing talent.
“Getting this kind of praise and acknowledgement from Dyer is a plus for me. I have always wanted to be on top, and I am glad that there are people who have faith in my brand.
“I will keep working hard and make an impression,” said the mbira princess.
“I also want to thank my loyal fans who continue to rally behind me, and it is pleasing to be supported by my own people on home turf.
“I will continue working hard and doing similar collaborations with big stars of Steve Dyer’s calibre.”
She added, “It was also a good feeling working with Dyer’s son, Bokani, on this special occasion.
“I will continue forging these alliances for the good of the industry. In my case, I am glad that I have a supportive team that I work with.
“It has always been my wish to make sure that I make an impression and be counted among the best artistes in the world.”
Down-to-earth and versatile, her fairytale continues to blaze a trail of success with each passing day.
Over the years, Masike has collaborated with some of Africa’s music stalwarts such as Salif Keita, the late Mtukudzi, Dyer, and Louis Mhlanga.
According to her official biography, she has several international tour credits, including performing in Southern Africa, Asia, Europe, and on the west coast of America. Her versatile music approach has seen her venture into different collaborations of note, such as with the AfroNordic outfit Monoswezi, the Southern African collaborative Mahube, and the Austrian-Zimbabwean collaboration named “Kunzwana.” She has also collaborated with Zimbabwean alternative hip-hop outfit The Monkey Nuts and American horn band The Huntertones, among many others.
In the early years of her career, she was part of the Norwegian cultural exchange programme Umoja CFC, which comprised Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, and Norway; and the Onebeat music exchange programme, which comprised numerous different countries, including Zimbabwe and the USA.
After all, she has nothing to prove on home turf, and she is steadily penetrating overseas markets.
