The Sunday Mail
Daisy Mtukudzi (Sam’s mother)
THE Bible says it is not a good thing to hold on to memories of the dead, but I find it very hard to just let go – just accepting that he is gone, for me, it is very hard. Just this morning (Tuesday), I was telling him (Oliver) that the image of Sam at the parlour before they dressed him, had recently become so vivid and playing over and over in my head. I do not know whether it has anything to do with the fact that the date that he died is getting close or I’m just thinking of him. There is nothing we can do about it but we continue to pray and hope that he and his friend Owen are in the company of saints and the Almighty God. If they sinned in any way we hope God listened and continues to listen to our prayers for forgiveness because up to now I do not even understand what sort of an accident that was. I want them both to be at peace wherever they are. These days I’m better but sometimes when I go to South Africa and see Sam’s girlfriend everything just comes back and I fail to hold myself. The Bible is against even what I have just said here – because it says we are preventing him from resting peacefully.
Saiwe Chimbetu (Sam’s backing vocalist in Ay Band)
I joined Sam after he had had problems with his band members around 2008 I was referred by a friend from High School.
So I had this idea that it would be some time pushing activity, but when I got there I was completely surprised. He was inspiring, so focused, had his objectives set, knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life and how he wanted to get where he wanted to go. He was getting ready to be a man for sure. We were all young people in the band and he really inspired us because as young musicians, rather aspiring musicians, sometimes we do not take work (being a musician) seriously – but he did. This time of the year – is a really tough time for some of us who were that close to him. Sam died just as he was starting to show himself to the world – that is why he and uncle Oliver did Nzou ne Mhuru Mudanga. Whenever I am singing or I listen to one of his songs – I am reminded of him. He had a way of doing things, a way of putting his music together that I just cannot forget.
Selma Mtukudzi (Sam’s paternal half-sister)
I cannot believe it is five years already. It seems like yesterday. We have been talking about him recently, looking at the pictures we have of him – I think it’s because we are in March and those memories just flood back whether one likes it or not. But I have very fond memories of him like the time we went to the UK as part of the Black Spirits and we went around London doing shopping. When we returned to Zimbabwe we were showing off to our sisters and friends – telling them our spiced up London stories. I remember him as a fun-loving person who did music – we would talk music, joke, laugh and even cry together. He was a really fun loving person –we miss him so dearly. I do not think we will ever completely heal.
Munya Mataruse (Sam’s guitar student and protégé)
Sam was my first guitar teacher. I met him at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in 2004 where he was the band director for Bandarimba, the first band that I was in when I joined the centre. Eventually when I formed my own band he gave me opportunities to curtain raise for him. I remember when he used to play at Holly’s Hotel every Thursday – I would go there to open for him and I made some important contacts there. Sam was the recording engineer for my debut album “Denguremhodzi”. He had a busy schedule but he always found time for my project. That alone shows how determined he was with the Pakare Paye project. We even did a duet together, a song called “Chinyavada”– we often performed it together and that duet got us into the Victoria Falls Jazz Festival in 2007.
