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Entertainment Reporter
Kadoma is expected to reverberate to Dendera and Tuku music tomorrow night when two seasoned musicians Oliver Mtukudzi and Suluman Chimbetu perform at Odyssey Club.
Orchestra Dendera Kings led by “captain” Sulu is expected to be energetic on stage as the group performs at the popular joint in the city.
Like their previous shows at Odyssey, the gig brings a lot of fond memories for the group as Sulu’s father the late Simon Chimbetu used to stage his shows there.
Sulu now commands a huge following which he inherited since the days of his late father Simon.
But Sulu no longer rides on his father’s coattails but has built a firm fan base since he went solo. Whenever Sulu takes to the stage fans are assured of a thrilling act from start to finish. His choreography and crowd control is amazing.
Every show is different and he is not as predictable as his critics say because he has plenty up his sleeves.
The four-time NAMA award winner has kept dendera music alive and perhaps will continue to be the torch bearer in the genre due to his level-headedness. However, his critics say that Sulu’s collaborations with other musicians were digressing from the real dendera, a claim he vehemently denied.
So far, the Orchestra Dendera Kings has been consistent since Sulu took over the reins and there is no end in endorsement deals coming their way. Added to this, Sulu is rated among the best performers at the moment.
The gig promises nothing short of fireworks as Tuku is expected to sample songs from his latest album “Mukombe Wemvura”.
Tuku is one of the granddads of Zimbabwean music. His songs don’t carry explicit political messages, but he makes it easy to read between the lines.
What makes Tuku’s music so powerful is that he delivers his messages with a gritty vocal style reminiscent of Otis Redding over intricate interlocking patterns adapted for guitar from mbira.
Tuku music also incorporates the hard-driving South African mbaqanga beat and the katekwe drumming patterns of his Korekore people.
Far more than a musician, Tuku has been deeply involved in other art forms. He was featured in “JIT”, the first film with an all-Zimbabwean cast, and played a leading role in “Neria” a feature film for which he also wrote and arranged the soundtrack. He also wrote and directed the musical “Was My Child”, a production exploring the plight of street children in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.
Lately, Tuku has been producing recordings by other Zimbabwean artistes from his Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton where he is also grooming young talents in several art disciplines.
Online Reporter