Ndega Zvangu
The soul does drip on this unique CD from Zimbabwe's Oliver Mutukudzi. With more than 30 Gold records,Tuku, as he is affectionately known, is one of the finest, most uplifting musicians from Southern Africa. This latest release is unique because Mutukudzi has lost three band members to AIDS, and the songs on the album were originally written for his band to perform. Rather than record with a new band, Mutukudzi chose to do it on his own. The result isNdega Zvangu(All Alone). It's a stripped down CD, no big band, no characteristic dance tunes, mostly Mutukudzi's gruff voice with his acoustic guitar, performing plaintive trance-inducing melodies. The songs are often about social issues, respecting elders, marriage, and Black identity. In "Andinzwi," sung not in Shona but English, Oliver Mutukudzi tries to understand the nature of a hero. The song is dedicated to the late Safirio Madzikatire, one of Zimbabwe's great comedians. Mutukudzi asks, "What is a hero? Do you have to die to be a hero? Here?"--Bob Boilen