Tuku, Todii and the irony of missed messages in music

Oliver Mtukudzi [Photo: Courtesy]

Upon the sad news of Zimbabwean great Oliver Mtukudzi’s death in 2019 (at 66, in Avenues Clinic in Harare), the national anthem on most of our radio stations was his song ‘Todii’ – which also so happens to be the ONLY song of Mtukudzi that most Kenyans know.

On shows like Khainga Okembwa’s KBC one, one heard tributes to ‘Tuku’ (his pet name) through the prism of ‘Todii.’ ‘Todii was the song that we got up to back in the day (2000),’ one listener reminisced. ‘Thank you (late) Waweru Mburu ‘Wembe’ of Citizen for the memories around Todii …’ Another listener said he thought the lyrics ‘What Shall We Do?’ in Todii were actually ‘Wacha Wivu.’