Zimbabwe: Mutoko Adds Unique Flavour to Gospel Genre
Financial Gazette (Harare)
21 February 2008
Posted to the web 21 February 2008
Stanley Kwenda Art Writer
Harare
Zimbabwe's gospel music arena now boasts its own, "Mr Fantastic" in the form of United Kingdom-based gospel artist, John Mutoko who is gradually establishing himself as a voice to reckon within the genre.
Though his name sounds more like that of a Broadway star than a local musician, Mutoko, has carved a name for himself among the diaspora community and is now aiming to make his mark on the local music scene.
He has already been featured on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) radio and television programmes such as the top 100 hundred videos of the year.
The Weekend Gazette recently met the UK-based musician in Harare to hear his story.
"I started singing as early as 1987 when I was still in primary school. I remember when I was in primary school and I had already an exercise book full of songs and my mum who did not want me to become a singer took the book and threw it in fire," said Mutoko explaining how he started up as a gospel musician.
Mutoko is the son of Reverend Mutoko, the overseer of the Members in Christ Church in Zimbabwe.
He has recorded three albums of which Mwari Vakatendeka stands out as the most popular. He first cut his musical teeth in the Cuban capital Havana in the 1990s where he was studying at the University of Havana.
"I wrote some of the songs I am singing today while I was in Cuba as part of a group that was called The Voices of Jones, together with fellow Zimbabwean John Tumbare," said Mutoko.
In 2001 he left for the UK to further his studies. But forhim this was also an opportunity to pursue his musical career releasing his first album 1 Samuel 7:12.
"The album is an honest summary of my life and how I felt when I lost my mother while in Cuba ,only to be informed of her death after 7 months," said Mutoko.
He is currently working on a fourth album with a local music distribution company.
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