Thomas Mapfumo bids farewell
All is set for Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo’s farewell concert in Birmingham tonight, where the legendary Chimurenga music icon will take his final bow after more than five decades of shaping Zimbabwe’s musical and political landscape.
The official press conference, hosted yesterday, brought together media, fans, and fellow performers to engage with Mapfumo ahead of the historic show. Tocky Vibes, Lindsay Chamangura Ngura, and Kurai Makore shared heartfelt reflections on sharing the stage with Mukanya, underlining the generational impact of his music and activism.
However, one absence drew attention — Selmor Mtukudzi, daughter of the late Oliver Mtukudzi. Mapfumo, visibly moved, acknowledged this gap: “Selmor ndiye wandanga ndichida pano, baba vake vaive shamwari yangu” (“Selmor is the one I really wanted here; her father was my friend”). Her participation, he stressed, would have symbolised the enduring friendship and shared legacy between himself and Oliver, two giants of Zimbabwean music.
Selmor’s repeated absence from press events has raised concerns among promoters, who argue that such engagements are vital not just for publicity but for storytelling. “This isn’t just about promoting an event,” one UK promoter remarked. “It’s about honouring history. Her voice was needed to bridge Oliver’s legacy with Mapfumo’s farewell.”
Despite this missed opportunity, tonight’s show promises an unforgettable celebration of Mukanya’s storied career. From his early days with the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band and the Acid Band, through the birth of Chimurenga music, Mapfumo has stood as both an artist and activist. His songs — Hokoyo, Corruption, Mamvemve — carried the spirit of resistance, first against colonial rule in the 1970s and later against post-independence repression.
Exiled for years in the United States due to political persecution, Mapfumo never abandoned his mission of truth through music, earning him the title “The Lion of Zimbabwe.” For Zimbabweans in the diaspora, tonight’s Birmingham concert is more than entertainment — it is the closing chapter of a cultural era.
Sharing the stage with Tocky Vibes, Kurai Makore, Lindsay, and Selmor Mtukudzi herself during the main concert, Mapfumo’s final performance will symbolically hand over the torch to a new generation.
