Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
National hero and music icon Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi’s 73rd birthday will be celebrated posthumously this weekend.
Tuku was born on September 22, 1952, in Highfield, Harare.
He succumbed to complications related to diabetes on January 23, 2019, at the age of 66.
Six years after his death, Tuku’s legacy continues to be celebrated through various festivities.
This year, fans will be spoiled for choice with a line-up of both regional and local events honouring the iconic composer who left an indelible mark on the music industry.
Tuku’s remarkable success is hard to ignore, and the Second Republic conferred upon him the status of a national hero, a major achievement for the creative sector.
Friends and fans will once again gather at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton this weekend for the 2025 Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of Arts (OMIFA), which will take centre stage.
This year’s two-day event, scheduled for September 19 and 20, returns with a star-studded line-up headlined by South African Afropop outfit Bongo Maffin and superstar Jah Prayzah.
Zimbabwe’s most sought-after diva, Feli Nandi, is also one of the major drawcards at the event.
Tamy Moyo, Saintfloew, Agga Nyabinde, Tatenda Mhangami, Mokoomba, Gary Tight, Black Spirits, Ve Mhofu, Terry Mbofana, Munya Nyamarebvu, Hwamanda, and Norman Masamba are also part of the bill.
Show coordinator Marcus Gora, who also doubles as the Mokoomba Band manager, insists it’s all systems go.
“The stage has been set for the 2025 OMIFA, and we are ready for the event. Everything is on course, and we are prepared for the big day. It’s our second edition and we are ready to rumble,” he stressed.
“Most groups can’t wait for the 2025 edition, and we have done all the groundwork necessary.” With Tuku’s birthday being celebrated both locally and beyond our borders, his daughter, Selmor Mtukudzi, has already set the tone for the month of September.
She recently told Zimpapers she is in the right spirits to honour her father. Last weekend, she performed at Hard Rock Café in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a precursor to the big day.
This weekend, she will hold the Tuku Trail Half Marathon set for Wingate Boat Club on the shores of Lake Chivero.
She will also headline the “Doctor Oliver Mtukudzi Tribute Show” scheduled for September 26 at Alliance Francaise in Lusaka, Zambia. This marks one of her busiest months.
“The morale in our camp is high. I have wanted to do this for a long time, and I’m happy that it’s finally going to happen. I’m excited to celebrate his legacy through music and other events. In Zambia and South Africa, I’m promising my fans an unforgettable experience celebrating Tuku’s music and legacy.
“I’m looking forward to connecting with my fans and paying tribute to my father’s impact on the music world. I last performed in Zambia in 2020 and in South Africa in 2022. The response is always amazing. The audience there really loves Zimbabwean music and has so much respect for us,” Selmor noted in a recent interview with Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub.
The talented diva has vowed to carry on her father’s legacy by engaging with Tuku’s fans worldwide.
She also revealed that she is committed to producing good music as she seeks to safeguard her father’s legacy while creating her own.
She regularly holds shows both locally and overseas as a musical ambassador. The consistent diva, who has been working hard to preserve her father’s legacy, needs no introduction. She has been evolving with each passing week.
Selmor, like her late father, is a perfectionist who believes in hard work.
Her rehearsals resemble a live show, judging by the energy she puts into her work.
She has also invested in a live band of phenomenal instrumentalists and vocalists of repute, showing her intention to make an impact as a musician representing the girl-child while keeping her late father’s legacy in safe hands.
