By Tendai Chisiri
From left Tendai Manatse, Selmor Mutukudzi and Briggs Bomba
Selmor Mutukudzi is launching a new album titled Selmor 4.0 with a live performance in celebration of her birthday at Sherwood Golf Club and the event is dubbed “Heroes Gala” on Saturday.
Selmor Mutukudzi had a press conference ahead of her new album launch with 8 tracks, 4 each side.
The title Selmor also doubles for the 40 years she is turning on 22 August apart fro the 4 songs on each side.
As she is turning 40 this month, the new album symbolises new life in Selmor with the adage “Life begins at forty” well portrayed by it. It is her eighth album.
The songs in the new album are Ndatenda, Hamunyare, Mafungiro and Takabvira Kare on Side A and Side B having Hosanna, Anoti pwe featuring upcoming artist Boss Guss, Kumatenga and Mumwe wangu. Selmor sings love songs and social commentary songs also.
At the press conference, two songs from the new album were sampled and these are Ndatenda and Anoti pwe.
Selmor Mutukudzi with the fans at the press briefing
Ndatenda song has the lyrics “Ndatenda ishe wangu” as she thanks the Lord for being alive the 40 years she is celebrating.
She said in the song many were taken in the middle of their life journey so she thanks the Lord for keeping her alive.
It is one of the songs that uplifts one’s spirit in praising the Lord and even at anyone’s birthday party can be played, no matter the age in the song.
According to Selmor, the invited guests at the press conference where the first to hear the songs.
Anoti pwe has the lyrics “Anoti pwe ndiani asimudze maoko tione”. It portrays that she has grown up and has became a force to reckon.
“I named the title album 4.0 because I am turning 40 this month. I also decide to have four songs of live band and other four songs are digital”, Selmor said.
She said she started to work on the album 3-5 years ago but the production took 3-4 months.
The album is about me coming into my self. Talk of myself. Am thanking my God for turning 40″ revealed Selmor.
She said the song Anoti pwe is not directed to anyone it shows that she is not afraid to show off her achi
“It is about me being truthful to myself, showing that I am not shy of myself”, she added.
A snippet documentary was shown at the event highlighting events in Selmor’s life since her birth and how the family managed to have the wealth of her late father be shared although there was no will.
Selmor was born on 22 August 1983 whilst Samantha was born in 1982 making them look like twins.
Samantha is late Oliver Mutukudzi’s lover Daisy and not Selmor’s mother. The documentary revealed that when Daisy and the late Tuku had an altercation , Tuku took the child to Selmor’s mother in Msasa who looked after her like her child.
“I wrote my O’level in 2000 and passed . I think was the first one in our family to come out with flying colours”.
My dad was so proud. I started my A’level in 2001. Then 2002 couldn’t do any more. I started not to enjoy school anymore at all and I decided to drop out”.
I didn’t tell my dad, I didn’t tell even my mother. I just packed my stuff and left the school. My dad was so disappointed”, Selmor revealed in the documentary.
Revellers have to fork ten dollars each to enter the official launch with the event starting at 7pm on Saturday.
Asked about journalists about her cover album, she said, “What inspired me to have the cover of the album is that am proud of who I am”.
That is why I didn’t want to be light on the cover but dark as my blackness is. I urge you to come in your African attire on Saturday”, she said.
She is in African attire on the cover album and even at the press conference she was in an frican attire
“My greatest challenge is being compared to my father and people don’t take time to listen to what I do because people can cancell me off as someone who can’t sing like my father”, she said.
Her advice to upcoming artists is to keep going.
Sherwood Golf Club proprietor Briggs Bomba giving his vote of thanks said he is happy with music. “I believe arts and music can transform our society more fast than what politics” he said.
He lauded Selmor as a poet who describes her self in an awesome way.
Top radio personality Kanyemba Bhonzo and singer Dadza D graced the event among others
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