oliver mtukudzi collection - the tuku years (Putumayo)

Oliver Mtukudzi Collection - The tuku years (Putumayo)

Oliver Mtukudzi is Zimbabwe's most popular performer. The singer/guitarist adds a deep-throated soul sound to his chimurenga based style. His guitar playing, alternately chirpy, funky and folksy is instantly recognisable. "The Oliver Mtukudzi Collection- The Tuku Years" (Putumayo) collates 10 songs from 6 of Oliver's releases.

Included is the joyful "Ndakuvara" and the English language "Wake Up" where the singer's hell for leather testifying is only superseded by the relentless swing of "Raki", possibly my favourite number on the CD. Despite the large number of singers, percussionists, musicians on electric and acoustic guitars, sax, keyboard and flute the music throughout spills forth with an unaffected, uncluttered, almost sparse power. A nice touch at the end was to notch the intimacy up a bit with two superb live performances ,"Neria" and "Hear Me Lord". Oliver's oeuvre is of such high quality that a fan could easily compile another 10 songs to make a collection just as good, so that all The Tuku Years is going to do to the uninitiated is make them seek out everything this great artist has recorded.