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  Oliver Mtukudzi
Nhava (Heads Up International HUCD 3102, 2005)
Like many listeners, I was first captivated by the music of Zimbabwe's
Oliver Mtukudzi when Putumayo began releasing his albums stateside in the
late '90s. It wasn't hard to get hooked- the sweet moan of Mtukudzi's voice and
the insistent melodic hooks of his songs were melded with rhythms that seemed to
send you dancing into a brighter tomorrow even when he addressed such bleak
topics as AIDS.
The title of Mtukudzi's Heads Up International debut, Nhava, refers to
the Zimbabwean word for a carrying bag or satchel. And this time he's packed
more in the bag. Sparkling acoustic and electric guitars are still front and
center most of the time and a feel somewhere between lilting and lamenting still
dominates (particularly in the South African township quality the arrangements
often suggest). But there are some funkier grooves here, a few percussion-fueled
jolts and moments that are less laid-back than you might have expected from this
man's music in the past.
The contrasts unfold as the album progresses, underscoring the differences
between, for example, the gradually awakening mood of "Tiri Mubindu" and the
harder-hitting "Dzokai" that follows. Lyrically, Mtukudzi continues to dole out
parabolic common sense, advising of the need to be humble, to be respectful of
fellow human beings and the environment and to seek divine intervention in all
things. Thanks to his potent melodic skills, none of it comes out sounding
sappy. In fact, it sounds terrific. Along with
Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mtukudzi is a mighty force in Zimbabwean music today,
and Nhava finds him in peak form.
[Buy
Nhava].
[You can also read
Oliver Mtukudzi Comments on Nhava, His New Album ].
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