Will Mapfumo last the distance?

Harare Bureau
He had been prowling the same lands for decades. And for decades more, he had abandoned his familiar savannah and grasslands of the Zimbabwean terrain. And yet, with his brief return early this year, the Lion of Zimbabwe, Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo rekindled a love affair with the territories he had roamed and called home.

He returns yet again to ensure they hear him roar, not only in the capital Harare, but far and wide as a true king of the jungle should do. And yet with a record nine shows in his epic Zimbabwe Peace Tour that commenced last night in Gweru progressing tonight to Bulawayo, will Mukanya be able, old and weary a lion as he is, to sit on the throne in the City of Kings and finish the nine town tour bellowing as loudly on his curtain call as he does in the first show?

Many have wondered, but the man has said the only place you will find that he is aging is if you look at the calendar. The man himself is still strong as a lion fresh out of being a cub!

“He has mental and physical stamina that should not be underemphasised,” said Khali Lazarus, speaking on behalf of Entertainment Republic who are managing this and Mukanya’s previous welcome home tour.

“Remember last time Glamis Stadium came to a standstill and from the time he performed, Mukanya sang non-stop until way after the cocks started crowing,” he added.

True, Mukanya had people dancing and sitting before starting on that routine yet again. Not out of boredom, but he had outdone them in terms of physical endurance, belting all his popular classics and new tracks until the sun literally came out.

“This is a different ball game but we assure the fans in Bulawayo, Beitbridge, Kadoma, Kariba, Masvingo, Harare and Victoria Falls that when Mukanya comes to your doorsteps, he will be as fresh and strong as he has been in Gweru!”

Today, the city of kings awaits the roar of the king of the African wild. After a long sabbatical, this should be a reunion with his fans worth a numbers of pages in Zimbabwean entertainment’s history books no doubt!