We reached Oliver by telephone during his fall 2000 US tour. The tour had started late because Oliver had to return home to attend the funeral of his mother. AFROPOP WORLDWIDE: Oliver, we were sorry to hear about the recent death of your mother.

OLIVER MTUKUDZI: It's one of those things.

AW: How do you describe your music to people who are not familiar with it?

OM: My music is a fusion of different rhythms of Zimbabwe. We have jit, mbira, dandanda, mbukumba, katekwe--that's a rhythm of the north of Zimbabwe, the Zambezi Valley. Take "Muranda Kumwe." The basic laydown is mbukumba. But the electric guitar is playing the katekwe time on top of that mbukumba time."

AW: Your new album, Paivepo (Putumayo), contains some interesting reflections on family customs. Can you explain the song "Ndagarwa Nhaka?"

OM: "Ndagarwa Nhaka" discusses the tradition where when a man dies, his brother can marry his widow. I mean, traditionally, inheritance is not bad at all. It's a good thing to do. But some selfish people nowadays take advantage of that law and use it to suit their personal needs. That's when people complain that inheritance is bad, but it wasn't meant to be bad. When it's been done the right way, it works. When one dies, somebody has to take care of that family, to help it out. That's how it was designed. But some selfish people now take it as an advantage to them and feel that that if he is the inheritor of that family, he is supposed to take the woman as a wife. That's sexual abuse, which is not it. He is meant to be there for the family and to take care of their problems. If he wants to marry that woman, then he has to propose afresh. And if the woman doesn't want, that's it."

AW: Then the song "Sandi Bonde" seems to be coming at the subject a different way.

OM: Yes. "Sandi Bonde" is the opposite of the first one. "Sandi Bonde" means that to inherit is not sex. It's got nothing to do with sex. In my case, when my father died, my mother appointed me as the inheritor of the family--me, her son. I'm saying inheritance is not about sex. But people are abusing cultural law to suit their own needs.

AW: This has been an interesting year in Zimbabwe. What has all this political turmoil been like for you?

OM: My personal feeling is that from the time of the referendum and the parliamentary elections, it's a step towards positive change. I think everybody knows now what the nation feels. It's not just a matter of being dictated to. People showed what they feel about the whole situation. People are tired of the same thing. They want a change, something different from the last 20 years.

AW: Did you take a position during the elections?

OM: Well, I was involved in the song that encouraged people to go and vote. I really wanted people to say out their feelings so that the government knows exactly what they feel about everything. And that really happened. The elections were very quiet, but at the end of the day, they had showed their feelings.

AW: I gather you took some heat for a song called "Mkuru Mkuru." What is it about?

OM: This song is talking about leadership. If you are a leader, you have to show by example. If your young ones go wrong, then you are able to tell them they are wrong. But if you as the head of the family go wrong, please, try to be realistic. Accept your critics.

AW: We heard that government people complained about this song. But didn't you actually write the song back in 1978?

OM: Yes. It's on my first album. You see, when I write a song, I don't mean a particular person. I sing for the people. I point out wrongdoings of people, and if it comes and it affects you, that's not my problem. I'm just saying the truth.

AW: Just the same, government representatives took the song personally, didn't they?

OM: They came and asked me, and I told them, well, if the leader is being affected by this song then that means there is something wrong with him. But I'm talking about any head of family. "Mkuru Mkuru" applies to any family, but families make up a community, and communities make up the nation. When I wrote my song about AIDS, governments' talk about scary figures about such and such a year and how many people will have died of AIDS. But they don't want talk about that. They just talk about these little issues that happen in their everyday lives, in their homes. Those little things grow into a big problem. Those little things happening in every home--that means it's a national issue. I take it from the root. Little issues that people don't talk about, but that's where the problem is.

AW: We know that Thomas Mapfumo had some songs banned from airplay. Of course, that just made the songs more popular.

OM: That's always the case. If you restrict a song, people get curious. They want to know the song more. You are only promoting the song. Maybe they [the government] don't understand how the media works. Anyway, he [Mapfumo] was just saying the truth.

AW: So do you feel that Zimbabwe has turned a corner with the elections this year?

OM: I feel a bit comforted. At least people can say something. At least they have opened up. They have told the truth. They are saying their feelings now, which is a positive thing. When you don't hide your feelings you are likely to improve. I think the Zimbabwean nation is very patient. But that doesn't mean that a patient nation can't get cross. After the election there was a feeling of excitement. At least there was a step achieved. But I'm sure they haven't forgotten. They are still waiting to see what is going to happen as a result.

AW: Big problems can't be solved overnight. OM: And I think the nation understands that. But at least something has to change. I think it's a matured nation. I think we understand that whatever wrong is there now is very difficult to correct, but at least there must be a sign of people working hard to make a change.