Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
WHEN Steve Dyer speaks of Oliver Mtukudzi, he does so as if the late music legend is still alive. Dyer uses the present tense when mentioning Tuku as if to imply that the music legend, who passed away in 2019, is just waiting in the next room, fine-tuning his guitar in anticipation of a recording session or performance.
“Tuku is a special artiste because he has good compositions and a very distinctive voice and that combination is just great,” Dyer revealed in a recent interview with Sunday Life.
The way the soft-spoken Dyer, who is in Zimbabwe to celebrate Jeys Marabini’s 34 years in the music industry, spoke of Tuku serves as a reminder that although Tuku may have been buried in Madziwa, Mashonaland Central Province, he never truly died. After all, Tuku was more than just a body.
He was a spirit, a myth, a voice. How can something that cannot be touched, like a spirit, ever be killed?
How can a voice forever lodged in our minds ever be destroyed? It is impossible. Through his songs and words, Tuku continues to live on, freed from the bounds of flesh.
However, there was a time when Tuku felt like a mere mortal, just like the rest of humanity—before critics referred to him as a “superstar,” a term that showed he had transcended mere stardom.
Tuku Music is credited as the album that established Tuku as a Zimbabwean star and propelled him to international acclaim. According to Dyer, who produced seven of Mtukudzi’s albums from 1998 to 2002, he never anticipated the monumental impact Tuku Music would have on Mtukudzi’s career and on music in general.
The recording of the first album began in disappointment, as a deal with a French label, which was meant to be a significant part of taking Tuku global, fell through.
“We had no idea that it would become so big and important. When we started recording Tuku Music, the idea was to send it to the French label for mixing. Along the way, something went wrong with the label, but we thought we should just go ahead and record the album on our own,” he said.
Dyer recalled it was another jazz maestro, Louis Mhlanga, who first foresaw the success of the music they were creating.
“I remember earlier on, Louis Mhlanga came in and did a couple of sessions on that album and he said, ‘You know what, this album is going to do something for Oliver.’ I was surprised and asked him if he really believed that and he was adamant it would. At the time, although I knew there was quality in the music, I just didn’t know it would have that big of an impact,” he said.
According to Dyer, what made it all come together so beautifully was the chemistry that they all shared. With Debbie Metcalfe taking care of Tuku’s welfare, Dyer producing, and Tuku at the peak of his creativity, the birth of an album that would define Zimbabwean music was inevitable.
“What I remember from that time was teamwork, as everything just fell into place. He had a really good band. Sam Mataure had just started working with the band at that time and with Debbie managing him, we had a business affairs manager in South Africa who helped Tuku protect all his intellectual property rights.
“The engineer, Mark Biagio, was more experienced in rock music, but for some reason, he just took to Tuku’s music like a duck to water. I think this synergy is what made it all work. There was a solid support team and at the time, Tuku had great compositions, good management and a talented band. Everything aligned beautifully and it showed through the energy we had in the studio,” he said.
Before his work with Tuku, Dyer, who lived in Zimbabwe between 1988 and 1993, was primarily known for his past works, particularly his classic song, Thabiso. While he acknowledges the enduring popularity of some of his previous albums, such as Freeway and Indlela Yenkululeko, he insists that he now wants to be recognised for his current endeavours rather than his past achievements.
“Time moves and you have to move with it. I am not where I was back then. The personnel I work with has changed, when I created Thabiso and those songs, we had a seven-piece band and now, I work with a quartet. We still play some of the vibey stuff, but perhaps with maturity, my sound has changed. It’s important for me, as an artiste, to always try new things and keep moving.
I was a young man when I made Thabiso, and a lot of time has passed since then.
“Those songs were created while I was living in Zimbabwe, so in South Africa, I don’t have many people reminding me about them. When you grow, and you’re performing in various places, people grow with you. It’s only when I come back to one of my homes, Zimbabwe, that people remember Steve Dyer and his songs,” he said.
Dyer, who released his latest album, Enhlizweni, in April this year, noted that it is primarily older people who seem particularly nostalgic about his earlier sound.
“When people asked Miles Davis why he changed so much, he told them to listen to his old records if they wanted to hear his past sound. Many people would like to hear my older tracks, especially those from older generations. The younger crowd tends to prefer my more recent music. It’s important to emphasize that I don’t want to be yesterday’s man; I want to be today’s man. Music has changed and evolved, and I want to do the same,” he said.
Over the years, Dyer has become a musical adventurer, exploring the sounds of Southern Africa while seeking to create music that defines the region.
As he enters the later stages of his career, he expresses a desire to broaden his horizons, leveraging global connectivity to explore musical sources previously inaccessible to him.
“I have made three trips to the US now, and I have management there. Those trips have allowed me to explore different artistes and understand the music industry better. I plan to return next year, as the plans management are typically long-term. Otherwise, the outcome will be more of the same for me. I released my latest album in April, and I aim to record another soon, possibly followed by a tour.”
He continued: “The intention I’ve had as an artiste has never changed. I’ve always wanted to go beyond just looking at the music of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana or any specific region. My intention is to recognise the entire region and work towards creating music that transcends borders.
Now, I have a more global outlook, as there’s significant cross-pollination of influences. In the past, we often didn’t know what people in Brazil were doing, for example. Now, thanks to the internet, we can draw inspiration from across continents. So while my focus remains regional, it is increasingly geared toward a global perspective and what we can offer the world.”
