Leisure Reporter
Oliver Mtukudzi will be performing in Kwekwe on Friday, and not on Saturday as reported in last Sunday’s edition.

Initially the Mtukudzi camp had agreed to perform in Kwekwe on Saturday before an offer came to perform at a private function on the same Saturday. Given the profile of the Saturday event, there was little option but to move the Kwekwe birthday celebrations a day earlier, to Friday.
“To us it is still the same, that Mtukudzi will celebrate his birthday in Kwekwe before he does with Harare, that has been our wish. We are even more delighted that the date has been moved to a Friday because traditionally Fridays are the happiest days of the week, everyone wants to have fun on a Friday,” said Oswald Mashonganyika, who is putting together Mtukudzi’s first show in the Mid­lands city for decades.

Sam Mataure, Mtukudzi’s manager, emphasised that because of the close links that the superstar shares with the city, Fri­day’s performance will be a top-notch special occasion. “It was irresistible when we got the offer to kick-start the celebrations of Mud­hara’s birthday in Kwekwe, because it is a spiritual home in a sense. So the mood in our camp is largely expectant, we are going to give a show of a lifetime,” Mataure said.

On the other hand, Mashonganyika says the coming of Mtukudzi to the newly opened leisure centre in Kwekwe is the endorsement that he has been craving for. “When we opened our joint at the beginning of August, we would have loved Mtukudzi, given his association with our city and his social stand­ing, to open the place for us, but because of his international commitments, he was not able to. But that he will be coming on Friday should be great news for Kwekwe.”

The venue where Mtukudzi will be per­forming is an ultra-modern motor spares and accessories workshop and showroom, with an equally trendy backyard which houses probably one of the best stages in the country, where live performances are held. It is located in Kwekwe’s light industrial area.
Meanwhile, the Kwekwe celebrations will act as a precursor to the main celebrations to be held in Harare in two weeks’ time, at the Andy Millar Hall, where the cream of local and regional music will converge to celebrate 60 years that Mtukudzi has walked Mother Earth.

Judith Sephuma, Ringo Madlingozi, Steve Dyer and Dorothy Masuka (Auntie Dottie) will fly in from down south, whilst Alick Macheso, the Chimbetu family, ExQ, Diana Samkange, Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave, Munya Mataruse, Selmor Mtukudzi, Peter Moyo and Jah Prayaz will complete the line-up that will make the Sep­tember 21 event more of a dazzling gala.
Josh Hozheri, a member of the organising team, said that since Mtukudzi’s 60th birth­day celebration is likely to be one of the biggest events on this year’s entertainment calendar, they are doing everything they can to ensure that the event is flawless.

“It can be hectic just organising a Tuku show on any given day, so you can imagine the pressure and intensity of organising a bash of that mag­nitude. The good thing is we are getting a lot of co-operation, given Mtukudzi’s stand­ing in society.”