HOUSE OF MUTAPA Striving To Inspire
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he Zimbabwean UK music scene has long since been ignored by some and appreciated by others. Artists like Tsungai have remained steadfast and continue to push for better acknowledgement and recognition. I had the pleasure of watching her in action at Zimfest 2017 and she brought the house down with her energetic and flawless performance. Nothing beats true talent. I had a chat with her about her past, present and future… How would you describe your genre of music and what inspired it? My music is a mixture of Southern African traditional with pop, R&B and more but the African sound is dominant. I call it Afrotrad or Afrofusion. I grew up listening to Chiwoniso Maraire, worked with the late Andy Brown and attended almost all of Tuku’s shows. Also on my daily playlist I have Miriam Makeba, Zahara, Brenda Fassie, Adele, Beyonce, Whitney, Amy Winehouse and many more.
it at weddings, graduations and birthdays. I recently sang at the embassy in London and came away with the hashtag “Zimbolicious” meaning anything fun, exciting and beautiful relating to Zimbabwe. It’s great to know that a huge number of diasporans are going to be travelling to Zimbabwe in April 2020 for the Zimthrive fashion, business, sports, arts and entertainment activities. All this is part of an effort to promote our culture and heritage.
Some of your attire is quite Afrocentric. Do you have a stylist and what inspires your outfits? I love dressing up naturally and when it comes to the stage. I get excited each time I am picking out an outfit for a performance. The African costumes have been a great part of me since my school days and now I get to buy my own or collaborate with designers for my performances. I bought a sewing machine years ago but have only made two decent outfits, l prefer getting someone to dress me whenever I can afford it. The Afrocentric look is my identity, I am lost without it.
You also do gospel music. Do you think there is a conflict with the other types of music you do? Certainly not, looking at Dr Oliver Mtukudzi, who is one of the world’s most celebrated legends, he sang about life and touched on different topics. There is music to suit each and every occasion and l refused to be put in box a long time ago. My music is relatable, although I enjoy singing about fun times, weddings and love, certain topics like abuse, loss and hardship faced by people need to be addressed.
How has life been for you in the diaspora? Honestly, it’s been tough making a fresh start away from family and friends but I have been fortunate enough to have persevered and just about managed to survive. Music has played a huge role in keeping me sane. I take nothing for granted and being a workaholic, I fill my days with activities and enjoy being around people with positive energy.
What are some of the challenges you have faced in your music career and how have you tackled them? Being a female musician l have to say being taken seriously by some promoters has proved hard. I work hard and take time to network trying to find out how l
How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired? I look at my babies and I have no choice but to keep going and aim to be the best version of me day in and day out. At twelve, my oldest is starting to be her own person and a lot of the things that she sees in me affect her choices, l think. She is also into music and dance. The young prince is still enjoying mummy’s attention and spends a lot of time trying to eat everything as they do in the first year. I want my kids to look up to me and see that hard work and patience pays off. I also want them to know that, l will support them in whatever path they choose. How important do you think it is for us as Zimbabweans in the diaspora to maintain our culture and heritage? Again, it comes to our kids. Teaching them and showing them that different types of individuals have different backgrounds and that’s what makes the world a beautiful place. I am proud of the way we, as Zimbabweans are embracing our culture and heritage. I have seen
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