Zimbabwe: Another Tuku
Protégé Emerges
21
APRIL 2019
By Tonderai
Ndemera
"No matter how
beautiful you dance; your feet will always come back to the ground," says
rising Afro-jazz musician Innocent "Answer" Kufakunesu, recalling one
of the lessons from his late mentor Oliver Mtukudzi.
The 24-year-old
Kufakunesu, who hails from Norton, is a product of Pakare Paye Arts Centre and
fronts his outfit Feso, named after the first published Shona novel by Solomon
Mutsvairo in 1957.
His rise to popularity
is greatly attributed to his unmatched ability to mimic the voice of the late
legendary superstar, whom he met when he was 15 years old.
"Mudhara Tuku saw
the ability within me and helped me realise my potential as an artiste by
mentoring me and teaching me the traits of a musician," Kufakunesu told
Standard Style.
A student of Sociology
at the University of Zimbabwe, Kufakunesu showed his stage prowess when he
performed at the opening ceremony of the Zimbabwe Universities Sports
Association competition in 2017.
He was recently
invited to South Africa to work alongside top regional artistes like Mzilikazi
wa Afrika and Sief Kabelele among many others from all over Africa on a project
called New Pan African Music Album.
He said the
opportunity was life-changing.
"I am very
grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented artistes
from all over Africa. It really opened my eyes to the multiple avenues that can
be explored in music," he said.
Last year he took part
in the talent search competition Dream Star, taking first position at his
college and battled all the way to the national finals where came out third.
"It has been a
journey for me so far since I got the opportunity to showcase my ability. I got
invited to perform at various prestigious events like the 18th Nama awards
ceremony in commemoration of my mentor. I want to show my appreciation for the
acknowledgement, I am truly grateful," he said.
He said he would soon
release an eight-track album with South Africa's Sony Records.
"I'm working on
my first album that is coming out soon whose date of release will be advised in
due course," he said.
"All those who
support me and are fans of my music should brace for a well-conceived
album."
While he performed at
various fora, Kufakunesu singled out the performance he did at the sending-off
of his late mentor as his best.
"The greatest
stage I have ever performed on was the day I performed at my mentor's funeral,
not because of the number of people present, but because of the emotional
standing of it all," he said.
"My wish is that
the arts in Zimbabwe become more than glamour and cat fights. I wish that it
rises beyond and becomes a source of healing for many people."
Read
the original article on Zimbabwe Standard.
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