Upcoming artistes honour Mupfurutsa

Locally based upcoming musicians have released a 15-track album titled,Celebrating the Life of the Legendary Music Icon Prince Tendai in honour of late musician cum promoter Tendai Mupfurutsa. The tribute album is the brain child of Bizzy Deeborn Dickson Mandota who was the producer of Muparutsa’s hit song, Character.

The album features different genres ranging from reggae, chimurenga, jazz and gospel. It carries two songs Samantha and Respect which are composed of the original sound pioneered by Mupfurutsa.

“I worked with Muparutsa who was not just a boss but a mentor-cum-brother to me. This album is meant to show how grateful I am to him,” Bizzy Dee said.”

Besides Mupfurutsa, Bizzy Dee has produced for musicians like Tendai Manatsa, Selmor Mtukudzi, Victor Kunonga and the late dendera star Simon Chimbetu. Some of the songs on the album include, Mawiramombe by Tawanda Mutota, Muchero Wekutenda done by jazz outfit called Licafa, Baba Ndauya, Mhondoro, Amai, Respect, Mabiyangu and Marimuka among others.

Artistes who also contributed to the project are Yagga, of the Neat and Nice fame, Imelda Vhiriri among others. Mupfurutsa was known in the showbiz circles as Mr Man. It is almost three years now since his death.

His car crash death at the age of 54 robbed the local arts fraternity of a sincere, creative, innovative, serious and dedicated music businessman who was prepared to change the face of the music industry in Zimbabwe. In his lifetime, Mupfurutsa was instrumental in taking local music to a higher level.

He assisted several musicians, both local and international, to excel in their own music careers. These include the likes of Mitchel Jambo, Noel Zembe, Kanda Bongo-Man from the DRC, Hamza Kalala from Tanzania and Toyin Adekale from the UK among others.

Mupfurutsa also co-ordinated memorable music projects such as campaigns against road carnage following the shocking Nyanga Bus Disaster in which about 90 pupils perished in 1991. He sponsored the making of the Bus Driver video which featured more than 30 artistes like Oliver Mtukudzi, the late Simon Chimbetu, Biggie Tembo, Isaac Chirwa, Machanic Manyeruke and Hosiah Chipanga among others.

Born on June 10, 1955, Mupfurutsa released several albums that include Midnight Magic 2 and 3 with hit singles Sweet Temptation, Amai Tendi, Problem and AfricanCowboy, another album Serious, carrying hits like From Zambezi to Limpopo.

In September 1996, Mupfurutsa was the first Zimbabwean musician to be nominated for the Kora Music Awards ceremony which was held at Sun City in South Africa. At the ceremony he rubbed shoulders with Africa’s musical finest like Salif Keita, Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie, Kofi Olomide and Youssou Ndour. The following year, he won the NAMA award of best video of the year.

Not only was Mupfurutsa a musician, in 1998, he joined the list of local promoters to host renowned regional gospel musicians such as Sipho Makhabane and Zairean rhumba maestro, Kanda-Bongo-Man. On September 4 in 2010, he brought foreign acts Akon and Sean Paul for a concert at the National Sports Stadium in Harare that was attended by over 40 000 fans. – Nkosana Zulu

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