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ZIMBABWE environmental ambassador and music icon Oliver Mtukudzi has urged schoolchildren to take education seriously if they are to sustain their lives in art.Speaking at the Pakare Paye Schools Solo Festival 2013 that was attended by more than 350 pupils from Harare and Mashonaland West Province, Mtukudzi said students should be allowed to pursue what they like most.
He insisted that art should be supported with proper education so that it becomes a meaningful venture. The music icon gave an example of himself and said he went for 20 years locked in a vicious cycle of contractual obligations without taking arts industry as a self-sustaining business.
He said he was trapped in what he called the “automatic cycle’ where everything would renew “itself”.
“It took me more than 20 years to find a breakthrough because I did not know what I wanted but everything was automatically renewing itself.
“I am into music and I urge you to have a vision of what you want and then pursue that dream,” said Mtukudzi.
Tuku’s wife, Daisy, concurred with her husband while confessing to the gathered pupils that she wanted her late son Sam Mtukudzi to be a pilot.
“I wanted to see Sam become a pilot. This programme is good, especially to you young people, you get a chance to interact with celebrated artists,” said Daisy.
The Solo Festival has been an annual event held at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton since its inception. Nyaradzo Group has partnered with the environmental ambassador as one of their many initiatives to achieve a target of planting 500 million trees by 2026. Nyaradzo has so far distributed more than 1 000 tree seedlings to more than 15 schools countrywide.
Online Reporter