Sam Mtukudzi: The future robbed

He struck me as a bubbly teenager full of dreams and hopes.
He told me at the time that he wanted his music to show him the world and it deed, with numerous performances around the world. He also spoke fondly of his girlfriend who stayed in Warren Park at the time.
His life revolved around music and I was even not surprised when he abruptly cut off our interview to rush back to the studio to record his first album.
At the time, he was not even driving because I remember walking him down to the Norton taxi rank to take a ride home.
So the news of his death in a car accident on Monday morning only came down on me like a barrage of bricks.
Sam was a musician, a friend to many and an extraordinary entertainer whose performances belied his tender age.
Travelling with him on the many shows around the country, I knew from the beginning that he was a star.
Many of his critics argued that he was no good without his father but he always made a clear statement of his being his own man by putting together his own AY Band made up of childhood friends, one of whom he died with.
He filled venues throughout the country without his father in sight. In other words, he was his own teacher, his own master and his own man.
His first album, Rume Rimwe, was testimony enough of just who this fine young man had grown into — a master act.
Not only was he big in Zimbabwe, he has slowly but surely carved a niche for himself in the cut-throat South African music industry, becoming just like his father, a regular at the Bassline in Newton, Johannesburg.
In 2008 while marketing his album in South Africa, he became an instant hit on record and became much-sort-after overnight.
Respected radio stations such as Kaya FM and SA FM featured him on air for 30 minutes, again something which doesn’t come easy, especially with commercially driven stations like Kaya.
Some even took their recognition of his talent a bit far, suggesting that he was going to fit into his father’s shoes perfectly in the event of the call of nature.
His friend in life and death, Owen Chimare, was more than a friend, a workmate and an advisor.
I remember him cheering non-stop at a show held at Mannenberg, some time in November last year. There were less than 10 people in the perched restaurant, but this did not sap his energy, cheering his colleagues until the end.
Wherever he is, I can be certain his still cheering.
Sam was born on April 1, 1988 in Kwekwe. He showed his interest in music at an early age. He was later to hone his skills at Prince Edward High School learning how to play all that is in music, making him the master that he was.
His musical footprints can be traced as far as Canada, South Africa, United States, United Kingdom, Kenya, Nigeria, among other countries.