Mataruse finally gets his chance

with some of Zimbabwe’s top musicians.
Mataruse (23) has defied his youth to rise from obscurity to become one of the country’s latest finds.

Judging by his consistency, the young man, who cut his teeth at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton, has shown how perseverance and focus can transform a mere artiste into a star.
Those who have been following Mataruse’s career closely will agree that the young musician is not a push-over in the industry and is destined for bigger things.
His talent has seen him receiving slots at prestigious events like the Winter Jazz Festival, where he rubbed shoulders with the cream of Zimbabwean artistes.

He has also shared the stage with his mentor, Oliver Mtukudzi, on countless occasions and is set to flirt with the katekwe king again at a family show to be held at Pamuzinda Highway Xscape tomorrow.

In the last two weeks, Tuku has played in Botswana, Uganda and has held several fiery shows around Zimbabwe.
While Mtukudzi is a legend whose presence on stage lives lasting impressions, Mataruse has his own magic that draws the listener further into his music.
Like his master and mentor, the young artiste is also fond of the acoustic guitar and his own unique way of making the instrument speak in his own language.

It can be safely said that Mataruse is gradually establishing his own brand of music and if he manages to maintain it, he might end up being a brand in a similar way that Tuku has done to katekwe.
One needs to just appreciate that apart from sharing the stage with Tuku during the Pamuzinda affair, Mataruse will also rub shoulders with Suluman Chimbetu, who is also billed to perform at the popular joint tomorrow.

Sulu is also on top of the game and no doubt the trio will keep the audience on its feet throughout the gig, which would be an exciting weekend for the whole family.
Kids will have fun in the sun, as Ajigija the Clown will provide them with an array of games alongside DJ Zobha.
So by the time Munya and his entourage grace the stage, temperatures would be warm enough to kick-start the gig.

But who exactly is Munya?
He started off at Chiedza Primary School in Norton where he had a passion for dancing, percussion and traditional marimba music.
This saw him auditioning for the percussion band where he played the bass drum.

Upon completing his O-Levels in 2004, he joined Pakare Paye Arts Centre where he received his grooming.
He later on joined a marimba band called Bandarimba where he mastered the skills of playing the acoustic guitar.
This opened avenues for Mataruse, who later played for various musicians like Oliver Mtukudzi, Steve Makoni, Victor Kunonga, Poda Muriwa and the late Sam Mtukudzi.

He then formed his own band, Kazevezeve.
Those in the know will attest that the young man has displayed a high level of ingenuity, which even surpasses that of several musicians who have been in the industry longer than he has.
At a previous show held at the City Sports Centre, Mataruse proved that he is no fluke, by holding his own in the midst of musical giants.

What started as an ordinary show for the little-known afro-jazz dynamite turned out to be the bigger event were he treated fans to some great music.
The young man offered jazz- flavoured yesteryear hits by artistes such as Oliver Mtukudzi, late music legends John Chibadura, James Chimombe and Leonard Dembo.
Mataruse also did his own original songs which included “Hondo” and “Pan’ono Pan’ono”.

This weekend’s show would be a repeated occurrence of similar events, in which Mataruse has enthralled fans.
In a telephone interview, Mataruse expressed his optimism over the Pamuzinda show, saying he was hoping this would catapult him to another level.
“To me the show will be a marketing strategy that I really intend to use to widen my fan base, and also learn from my mentor (Tuku), who has assisted me a lot,” he said.