Wasakara (Bvuma) brings house down in Cape Town

The power of the universality of music breaks down language and cultural barriers, unifying people of the world from all diverse traditions, hence it was not surprising when Wasakara (Bvuma) brought the house down at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival at the end of March. Made in Zimbabwe and exported to the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2008, Tuku’s yesteryear satirical smash hit Wasakara (Bvuma) proved one of the people’s favourites during the three day festival held in the coastal city. A relatively old tune, having been produced more than five years ago, the satire in the story behind Wasakara (Bvuma) has probably given it the staying power making it continuously relevant with each and every day.
And so it was not unusual when Capetonians demanded the number and soaked themselves in it, rocking steady alongside regional and international fans and artists - at least a good 20 000 of them. “Bvuma” simply interrogates why people do not accept old age as a blessing and gift of life. The song, like all true art, has unlimited social context interpretations. The festival, now in its ninth year, is associated with the who-is-who of South Africa, corporations and individuals including the SA President himself Thabo Mbeki who said in a message of support to the festival: “…jazz remains as relevant today as it was in the past. This is because jazz has always been an effective tool to express the human condition. Its voice was used to oppose injustice while today its sound resonates with the essence of freedom.” The festival revered Tuku describing his music as a force that sweeps even the uninitiated onto the dance floor and touching the lives of the ordinary people.

A platform bringing together 40 acts, across five stages, the Cape Town Jazz Festival is a mix of music as it does not necessarily dwell entirely on purely jazz but incorporates other genres. The festival was also looking for the upbeat dance style that hauls people onto their feet and Tuku was there to provide just that alongside other artists including Zola, The Manhattans, Bongani Sotshononda Project, Najee, The Soul Brothers…the list is long. United States artist Raul Maidon joined Tuku on stage on Dzoka Uyamwe (Dande). Tuku also recorded a DVD at the festival and Tuku Music fans have something in due course for their collections. – tukumusic.com