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is a daunting presence, with his reserved demeanour and affluence.
Yet he’s as much steel as ice and is no pushover.
When he opens his mouth, the first thing that hits you is his highly cultured rural background.
“My music has soul, you can feel and touch it. It draws much from the traditional aspects of our culture and I sing to inspire the youths so that, they too, can make it in life.
“Being born and raised in Masvingo’s rural area is no hindrance to achieve the best in life. I learnt a lot from herding cattle,” Mutodi said.
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“A song should be a living thing that can teach those that need advice to learn a thing or two about what life is and for this reason I sing ancient stories. I want my children and their children’s children to understand where I come from and where I am going.”
His debut seven-track album “Simbi YaMdara” has won him the hearts of rhumba lovers.
In street lingo “Simbi YaMdara” means anything that has spunk, swagger and hot.
But, according to Mutodi, 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, Mutodi is known by such sobriquets as “Simbi YaMdara” and “La Grand Baron” (meaning the Big Boss) in rhumba circles.
Backed by one of the celebrated rhumba outfits 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.
The big breakthrough
His venture into music was almost accidental.
“Sometime in August 2010, I met The Real Sounds of Africa’s member Andrew Mafuta who told me that they wanted sponsorship for their trip to the United Kingdom.
“It was then that I remembered as far back as 2004 I had written a song called ‘Pershie’ when I was working at Trust Bank but I didn’t have anyone to help me record the track.
However, at home, Mutodi used to keep a keyboard and an acoustic guitar, which he would play during his spare time.
Later, he teamed up with The Real Sounds of Africa and decided to take the song to Peter Mparutsa, the producer at Shed Studios, who was impressed by Mutodi’s musical exploits.
Mparutsa liked the song from the outset and he eventually recorded the song.
“It sounded good and he (Mparutsa) encouraged me after seeing the potential and from then on I recorded the other six songs which my grandmother used to sing when I was just a little boy,” he said.
The music
In February 2011, Mutodi released his first studio album and since then the Real Sounds of Africa comprising over 30 members plus dancers has become his backing group.
Looking at the album, Mutodi offers tunes overflowing with sunny traditional melodies and lyrics with messages of encouragement and advice.
The words are married to a unique style of rhumba, done in Shona as opposed to Lingala, one of Congo’s major dialects.
“Simbi YaMdara” opens with the song titled “Pershie”, a favourite of many with its folklore sing-along tunes. He sings “Apa pakasungwa neutare, mudiwa Pershie ndinokuda, ndinokufunga pese pandiri.”
It is about a man who is expressing his deep affection for his lover. The song has a strong chorus and background vocals as well as interlocking rhythms of African drums and electric guitars.
The second song is “Tisasiyane” yet another love medley, which he penned after seeing a lot of families breaking up.
“Parwendo” is a feel-good song meant to cheer up people and get them in a party mood.
The fourth song on the album is “Chigorodanda”, a chiming and hypnotic track with a tinge of jiti drumbeat. He says that it takes two to tango.
Up next is “Andrew”, a song he wrote after his brother Andrew left Zimbabwe for South Africa in the midst of economic turmoil in 2008.
During that year, a wave of xenophobic attacks swept through South Africa and Mutodi thought he had lost his brother in those acts of violence.
Other songs on the album are “Tozosangana” done in Lingala and “Pershie” (Congo version.)
Early Life
Mutodi 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 came out the best student in his stream with 18 points to be precise.
He, however, was disappointed that although he had three straight “A’s” he got a “C” in Shona.
“I challenge the markers to revisit my answer sheet because I feel I got the ‘C’ in Shona because of my bad handwriting otherwise I deserved an ‘A’,” he enthused.
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 and joined Trust Bank as a marketing executive.
“I was the best marketing executive at Trust Bank and this is something Doug (Mamvura) can testify,” he said.
Round about 2003/4 he left Trust Bank to move to his new post as the director of National Housing Development Trust of Zimbabwe under the tutelage of Dr Ignatius Chombo in 2006.
In 2007, he was elevated to become the chief executive office of the trust, a position he still holds today.
Asked why he ventured into music when he was already a success story, Mutodi said music was one yellow brick on his wall.
“It goes back to my background when I used to sing along to Dr Love’s ‘Nhamo Yeusavi’ and music was in me. I would describe myself as a three star type of person who has excelled in finance, education and lately music,” he said.
He said for long Zimbabwean musicians had been looked down upon but he hopes to change that bad image and inspire other musicians to do better in life.
“I want to show and tell the world that our Zimbabwean culture is unique and that we take pride in our language, country and everything that makes us who we are,” he said.
As a parting shot, Mutodi said he loves his fans so much that he wants Zimbabwean music to be recognised as the best.
Bongani Ndlovu