Early Christmas present from Energy Mutodi

second album which fans and critics could be described as an early Christmas present.
Titled “Kumasese”, the six-track album is full of nuggets of advice drawing wisdom and inspiration from the Zimbabwean culture.
Just like the old adage that says “a fly, which has no advisor will follow the corpse into the grave”, “Kumasese” is where it begins and ends for a man who does not listen to sound advice.
Although rhumba music has of late been fading on the scene, Mutodi or “Tatu Muluba”, The Big Boss, is setting out to show and tell the world that the genre is, in fact, on a comeback trail.
Now with a second album to his credit, “Tatu Muluba” believes he should now claim what is rightly his. This time he has come in a big way with the release of “Kumasese”.
If you are both a rhumba and sungura fan then “Angelina” is just for you. The sungura version features none other than the king of sungura himself, Alick “Extrabasso” Macheso.
“Extrabasso” laces his vocals and guitar skills on the track while “Tatu Muluba” spices it up with some rhumba chants. “Tatu Muluba” becomes the second musician after the late Beater Mangethe to do a duet with “Extrabasso”.
Up next is “2 by 2”, a mellow song which like they say “doesn’t put pressure” on listeners but flows naturally like water going downstream.
It is a love song where couples are urged to love one another even on a rainy day.
“Ruvimbo” is another track worth listening to as it is both slow and up-tempo. The song is about a man who is deeply in love with his girlfriend called Ruvimbo. The man’s true love is based on trust and intimacy. The man pledges to do all he can for the girlfriend.
Perhaps you might be wondering where the title of the track came from but you need not worry.
The track “Mbarikwa” is the song which carries the title of the album and is a traditional folklore tune which was sung during traditional ceremonies.
On the album there are two tracks dedicated to music heroes and liberation heroes. The track “PaChibondo” pays tribute to the fallen heroes who were murdered and buried at Chibondo in Mt Darwin while “Anesu” celebrates the lives of fellow musicians Tongai Moyo, Cephas Mashakada, Leonard Dembo and Simon Chimbetu.
According to “Tatu Muluba”, “Anesu” seeks to comfort the fans on the passing of their favourite musicians and plans are underway for the launch of the album on Wednesday at the Rainbow Towers.
“I love music and I have a passion for it despite my busy schedule with my businesses,” said the flamboyant singer.
But there is a flip side to “Tatu Muluba’s” life which has shaped his musical exploits. Born and raised in Masvingo’s rural area, the 33-year-old singer is one of the few people who have proved that their humble background was no hindrance to achieving the best in life.
He says he learnt a lot from herding cattle.
He debuted on the music charts with his seven-track album “Simbi YaMdara”, which won the hearts of rhumba lovers.
In street lingo “Simbi YaMdara” means anything that has spunk and swag. But, according to “Tatu Muluba”, the word means anything that is important in life, it could be your wife, your business, your car, your girlfriend or your most prized possession that you cannot do without in life.
Already, some fans have christened him with such sobriquets as “Simbi YaMdara” and “La Grand Baron” (meaning the Big Boss) in rhumba circles.
Backed by one celebrated rhumba outfit called The Real Sounds of Africa, Mutodi singles out Congolese rhumba giant Koffi Olomide as well as the late great Zimbabwean musicians Paul “Dr Love” Matavire, John Chibadura, Leonard Dembo and Simon “Chopper” Chimbetu as his music heroes.
“Tatu Muluba” is no ordinary musician as he is a versatile and multi-talented individual who does his things in his own time and space.
Born on August 4, 1978 and being a Leo, he surely knows how to get around things. He enrolled at Nyahunda Primary School and upon finishing his sixth form at Mashoko Mission, Mutodi was the best student in his stream with 18 points, to be precise.
In 1988 he enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe and studied Arts, Geography and Economics and upon completion he became a history and geography teacher at Kuwadzana High School, Girls High School and Chikangwe High School in Karoi.
In 2001, Mutodi wrote a geography textbook, which was published in 2009 and subsequently approved by the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in schools’ syllabi before he left teaching to join Trust Bank as a marketing executive.
Round about 2003/4 he left Trust Bank to take up a new post as the director of National Housing Development Trust of Zimbabwe under the tutelage of Dr Ignatius Chombo.
In 2007, he was elevated to chief executive officer of the trust, a position he holds today.
Currently, he is studying for a masters degree at the University of Zimbabwe while in between he stages live shows.
He is best known as an academic, musician and businessman, in short a jack of all trades if you like.