Sekurutau has spent most of his public life being several things at once: sculptor, businessman and, somewhere in the middle of all that, a musician. His new album, "Sahwira Mukuru", is the clearest sign in years that the music still matters to him. It is a record about friendship, his late mother and where he comes from, and once again he produced it himself.[1]
A comeback built on old ground
"Sahwira Mukuru" marks Bryn Taurai Mteki's return after years away from Zimbabwe's live circuit. The title points to the sahwira, the trusted family friend whose role matters most when someone dies, and Mteki says the album honours those friendships alongside faith, life after death and African identity.[1]
As he describes them, each song has a job. "Amai Hwee" is for his mother, Tabeth Elizabeth Chikwenya. "Rugare Rwauya" urges people to enjoy life, "Musikavanhu" gives thanks to God, and "Svaa Makudo" is aimed at younger listeners who have drifted from their heritage. "Rovambira" comes with what he calls a new dance of the same name.[1]
He also says he has produced all his own music since his debut, "Kurauone", in 2000.[1] That debut date matches a 2018 discography that runs from "Kurauone" through "Kuyaruka" (2001), "Hamunyare" (2003) and "Pfugama Unamate" (2004) to "Tsuro Magen'a" and "Vadzoka" (both 2007) and "Ndakura" (2009).[2]
A long pattern of promises
This is not his first comeback. In 2015 he returned from years abroad with "Makarekare", a greatest hits compilation, at a point when his music career had all but disappeared.[3] In 2017 he set out on a nationwide "Back from America" run of shows and promised a new album, "Ndakabvakure", the following month.[4] In 2018 an album recorded in Germany was said to be in mastering in the United States.[2] That same year he was hinting at a collaboration with Thomas Mapfumo.[5]
We could not confirm whether either of those projects was released in full. That history is exactly why "Sahwira Mukuru" deserves a fair hearing rather than a shrug. Delivering a finished, personal record after years of announcements is its own kind of achievement.
Why it matters
The most interesting thing about this album is the argument wrapped around it. Mteki has spent more than a decade insisting he is not a chimurenga artist. In 2015 he argued that Mapfumo has no exclusive claim on mbira, and that being lumped in with Mukanya had hurt his career.[3] He repeated the point this month: "I am proudly an African Roots musician."[1]
That is a real debate for Zimbabwean music. Any artist who uses mbira and roots rhythms gets measured against Mapfumo, and plenty have struggled under the comparison. Whether you buy the distinction or not, Sekurutau is making a case that traditional sound belongs to everyone, not to one genre label.
The tribute to his mother also has deeper roots than this record. His 2015 compilation was dedicated to her, after her death the year before, and he came home partly to run the businesses she had been managing.[3] "Amai Hwee" is the latest chapter in that story, not the first.
What happens next
At the time of writing we could not find "Sahwira Mukuru" on Apple Music or Deezer, and no launch date or venue has been confirmed in the coverage we read. The real test is simple: get the songs onto the major platforms, get back on stage, and let "Rovambira" prove it can fill a dance floor. A self-produced roots record about friendship and loss is a good story. It needs listeners to finish it.
Sources
Researched and drafted with the help of AI tools, then fact-checked and edited by our team. How we work.
