Online Reporter
Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
FROM the streets of Sakubva and Dangamvura to international classrooms and concert stages, US-based versatile artiste, Tendai Muparutsa, has built a remarkable career around music, education and Zimbabwean culture.
Currently in Zimbabwe, Muparutsa recently caught up with The Weekender Entertainment for an interview, reflecting on a journey that has taken him from school choirs in Nyanga to universities in the United States and Canada, while remaining firmly connected to the music traditions that shaped him.
Born and raised between Sakubva and Dangamvura in Mutare, Muparutsa grew up in a musical environment.
He attended St Joseph’s Primary School and, following the breakdown of his parents’ relationship, he was largely raised by his grandparents in Chisamba, Sakubva. During his high school years, he lived with his uncle, Peter Muparutsa of the celebrated RUNN Family, in Dangamvura.
It was during this period that his musical journey began taking shape.
He became part of Spree, an unofficial B-side of RUNN Family, alongside Tendai Muparutsa (senior), Tendai Fortune Muparutsa, Golden Muparutsa, Lawrence “Chamu” Muparutsa, Kenneth Muparutsa and Shepherd Nyamoto.
The young musicians were exposed to some of the biggest names visiting Mutare. Muparutsa recalls watching international acts such as Osibisa, Jimmy Cliff and Misty in Roots perform at Sakubva Stadium, with RUNN Family often opening for visiting artistes.
Although music was already becoming a major influence, Muparutsa initially explored another passion in football.
After completing high school, he spent a year doing odd jobs and playing for lower-division sides, Mutare Board and Paper Mills and Tomango, which also provided him with part-time employment.
He eventually accepted that football was not his strongest path and turned his attention to education.
In 1989, he enrolled at Mutare Teachers’ College, graduating in 1991.
It was there that music moved from an interest to a serious calling.
Tutors including Sheilla Brown, Robson Ruzvidzo and the renowned choral musician, Tendai Kuture, helped develop his musical abilities. Kuture, in particular, introduced him more deeply to choral music.
After graduating, Muparutsa was deployed to Bumhira Primary School in Nyamaropa, Nyanga, in 1992. While teaching, he established a school choir that became a dominant force at district level.
His work with school choirs soon extended beyond Bumhira. He later worked with schools including Nyamhuka, Zuvarabuda and Sedze primary schools, while also developing choirs at secondary-school level.
His association with Nyamauru High School proved particularly successful, with the school winning national high-school choir competitions in 1998 and again in 2002.
His work with the Dangamvura Old Students Association Choir (DOSA) was another defining chapter.
Under the guidance of celebrated choir director, the late Saul Nhiwatiwa, Muparutsa developed further as a choral director.
DOSA performed at national events, including the 1998 Heroes celebrations in Chimoio, Mozambique, while also winning the Colgate-Palmolive national competition in 1998.
“Music has always been connected to education for me. I did not simply learn music to perform; I learnt it because I had to teach it. That is why I ended up playing many instruments and exploring different forms of music. Teaching forced me to understand the music deeply enough to demonstrate it to learners. Along the way, music also taught me patience, discipline and the importance of working with other people. Looking back, the different stages of my journey — the classroom, the choir, the bands, university and eventually research — all contributed something important to the musician I am today,” he said.
Seeking greater musical depth, Muparutsa enrolled at the Zimbabwe College of Music between 1999 and 2000. The experience broadened his horizons beyond choral music into popular performance, traditional dance and instrumental work.
He played percussion with Uya Moya, later known as AmaGents, worked with Tanga wekwaSando and helped form and develop Victor Kunonga’s Peace Band. He also performed with Mateo and Friends, touring Namibia in 2002, where they opened for celebrated Malian guitarist, Habib Koité and his band, Bamada.
His academic career continued alongside his music.
He lectured in music at Marymount Teachers’ College, before studying Music Education at the University of Zimbabwe.
He later joined Midlands State University as a music lecturer before leaving Zimbabwe for further studies.
In the United States, Muparutsa obtained a Master’s Degree in Music from the University of Idaho. He subsequently completed a PhD in Ethnomusicology at the University of Alberta in Canada in 2013.
Since 2012, he has been a lecturer at Williams College in Massachusetts, where his work includes teaching performance and Zimbabwean musical traditions.
He has travelled extensively across the United States, conducting mbira and marimba workshops, while also publishing academic work on Zimbabwean music education and traditional dance.
But academia has never taken him away from making music.
Muparutsa released his debut solo project, Acoustic Africa, in 2007. This was followed by Mai Zimbabwe in 2010, Sisi in 2018 and his latest project, Vabereki.
His music draws heavily from Zimbabwe’s traditional musical reservoir while incorporating sounds from elsewhere on the continent. Mbira, marimba, percussion, nylon-string guitar and vocals form an important part of his musical palette. His choral background is particularly evident in his use of layered backing vocals that create an almost acapella-like quality.
“My music is really about identity, heritage and possibility. I want people to hear Zimbabwe in what I do, but I also want the music to show that our traditions can speak to the wider world. My message is one of hope, learning and a bright future. That applies to children, but it also applies to adults because we never stop learning. I have taken different paths, from teaching and choirs to popular music, research and recording, and each path has enriched the other. I want my work to encourage people to value where they come from while remaining open to discovering something new.”
Muparutsa also hosts Afro Groove, a podcast that examines issues surrounding popular music on the African continent.
