Diamond Musica salutes Tuku

 Rhumba group Diamond Musica of the Amaule fame has described veteran musician Oliver Mtukudzi as their role model in the music industry.Speaking to the Financial Gazette, the group’s leading vocalist, Pitshou Lumiere said if it was not Tuku’s immense contribution to their musical career they could have returned to their home country (Tanzania).
When this Congolese band (Diamond Musica) came to Zimbabwe in 1999,they were strangers and struggled to hold their own before shows that would attract a poor turnout.
However, they resorted to curtain raise for Mtukudzi who later advised them to record an album.

“When we came here (Zimbabwe) we were strangers and it took us ages to be where we are today. For our success we attribute it to the legend Oliver Mtukudzi.
“If he was not the one who advised us to record an album, we could have not struck the right code in such a competitive industry,” said Pitshou.

Meanwhile, the rhumba group is basking in the glory of their eight-track album called Amai released late last year which is currently doing well on the local charts.
The album produced and arranged by Shaka Zulu carries five songs in Shona and three in Kiswahili features high riding Dendera musician Sulumani Chimbetu.
Sulu features on the title track Amai. Some of the Shona tracks on the album include Kwatakabva and Munin’ina among others.

All songs on the album parleys about social issues like relationships matters among other social cohesion subjects.
“With this album Amai, we wanted to show our local fans that rhumba can also be done in Shona while at the same time trying to make them have an understanding of teachings from rhumba music,” said Pitshou.
“Many people only associate rhumba music with raunchy dances of which we want to bridge that gap by simplifying it.”

Rhumba music once took Zimbabwe by storm during the 1990s with a number of artistes from the Democratic Republic of Congo coming to perform in Harare.
Some of the big names in the rhumba genre that performed in the country include Kanda Bongo Man, Pepe Kalle, Papa Wemba, General Defao, Extra Musica, Werrason and Koffi Olomide among others.