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NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Munya Mataruse salutes Tuku

Life & Style
A careful gaze at how he manages the stage when he is performing will easily tell he has an iconic superstar and mentor. This is arguably one of the finest images that fans have of Munya Mataruse and this has helped him in steadily building a reputable fan base. Without doubt one can easily conclude […]

A careful gaze at how he manages the stage when he is performing will easily tell he has an iconic superstar and mentor.

This is arguably one of the finest images that fans have of Munya Mataruse and this has helped him in steadily building a reputable fan base.

Without doubt one can easily conclude that he is not only a true protégé of Oliver Mtukudzi but a star in his own making.

Mentoring and training Mataruse up until this stage is just what legendary musician, Mtukudzi, has done.

Mataruse is steadily rising to the limelight. He will be part of the line-up of performers on June 11 at the NewsDay first Anniversary Bash slated for the Harare Gardens where Mtukudzi will provide the main act.

“It’s a great honour to perform alongside Tuku because a lot of upcoming musicians would like to have this platform,” said Mataruse.

“I feel very happy to be part of his shows, he is one of the biggest musicians nationally and internationally, so performing my new music to his big crowd markets my music in a big way,” said Mataruse.

NewsDay bash will also feature Albert Nyathi, Edith WeUtonga, Donald Kanyuchi and Kwela Whistlers. There will be lots of fun and prizes on this family entertainment day.

“I’m looking forward to performing at this gig alongside some of the finest and well-established artists we have today,” said Mataruse.

Born on January 22 1988 Mataruse did his primary education at Chiedza Primary School. At primary level he leant dance, percussion and marimba music and soon began to show his talent.

He auditioned for the percussion band, became a bass drummer and joined a marimba band, learning local traditional beats like jiti, mhande, chinyambera and jikinya.

In his last two years at Chiedza he was also in the traditional dance troupe. He studied secondary education at St Joseph High in Masvingo and after school he learnt of a programme that groomed actors, actresses, poets and musicians at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton. He enrolled for a music course.

After just six months of grooming at Pakare Paye, he featured in a show at the centre with various renowned artists such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Steven Makoni, Victor Kunonga, Poda Muriwa and the late Sam Mtukudzi.

After this show he continued learning, rehearsing and holding solo shows at the centre, some of them promoted by Tuku Music.

He then joined Bandarimba band, a group that introduced him to the Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa) in 2005 and that year he also started learning acoustic guitar.

This year he made his fifth appearance at Hifa. In 2007 he took part in the Victoria Falls International Jazz Festival and Harare Jazz Festival and was part of the Winter Jazz Festival in 2009.

Through this journey he is fast establishing himself as a force to reckon with in the jazz sector and is blessed to have perfomed alongside Tuku at most of his shows.

Mataruse and his whole band Kazevezeve were trained at Pakare Paye.

He has shared the stage with Dudu Manhenga and worked with Taku Mafika. He is also into acting having featured in a drama titled Nzou neMhuru Mudanga and Chipo Changu, a short film co-produced by Tuku Music and Afro Eye Productions

Through these projects, Mataruse has grown in experience and skill.