Young Munya makes Dengu Remhodzi at Tuku Music
Following hard on the heels of his peer Sam Mtukudzi, who released his debut Rume Rimwe in December 2007, another of the pioneers of Pakare Paye Arts Centre, Munyaradzi Mataruse (20), is in the studio stitching together his own debut Dengu Remhodzi under Tuku Music. One of the early products of the center, having joined Pakare Paye at the age of 16 and coming from a background of traditional dance, Munyaradzi is now tuning more into what he describes as contemporary hard jazz/traditional fusion.

An entirely youthful outfit grouped together as The Jazz Flock, Munyaradzi’s band will not have their tender ages be any hindrance in pursuit of their big dreams in music. “If the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo made hits when they were in their early 20s nothing can stop me,” Munyaradzi told tukumusic.com.

“We have had first class facilities to train and develop at the center and there is no reason to fail to produce quality that matches our young experience.” Dengu Remhodzi is not a particular theme song on the album but is rather a collective theme for the album. It has not been easy going for young Munyaradzi who arrived at Pakare Paye with the barest idea of electric instruments using each day as a learning process under the guidance of Tuku himself and his peers Sam and Poda who were sort of “old hands” at the game.

But before he laid his hands on the guitar Munyaradzi did a stint with the centre’s own Bandarimba Marimba Band diversifying into contemporary music each day at a time. “To find Tuku saying we were ready to record has not been easy. He is tough when it comes to quality and does not allow shoddy work. So, yes, here I am in the studio. Nothing will stop me now.” – tukumusic.com