Fortune Muparutsa: When The Wheels of Fortune Muparutsa Rolled From The Future Into Our Lives
Fortune Muparutsa
By Kamangeni Phiri 9/12/2022
If there is ever a reason to rename urban grooves, a popular genre of music among Zimbabwean youths, Fortune Muparutsa would be an apt name.
The late Fortune, one of the beat’s pioneers who was well ahead of his time, announced his solo musical career with his debut hit single “Sangoma” released in 1992. He managed to forge new ground in the genre that today’s urban grooves stars are still learning from.
His thin but rich discography is a portrayal of an artiste focused on building his own world, complete with a rhyme style laced with a “free-form” lyricism divorced from that of past decades.
Fortune successfully blended traditional sounds with western R’nB music to come up with a uniquely Zimbabwean beat.
“Fortune released a monster hit Wangu Ndega (erroneously referred to as Kana Matombo by many people). That was in 1994 and it was a huge hit on ZTV’s Mutinhimira wemimhanzi/Ezomgido but back in those days we all felt the song had inappropriate lyrics and adults wanted it censored. That one part about “shandisa condom, condom” it was controversial because the use of condoms meant direct talk of sex, a taboo subject back then,” said writer and music enthusiast, Marshal Shonhai.
Wangu Ndega is off the 10-track project, Wheels of Fortune, the late singer-cum producer’s only album. It carried other hit songs like Kure kwaunoenda, Simbarashe, among others. The song Wangu Ndega is a must listen as it encouraged the use of condoms and partners to be faithful to one another in the wake of HIV/Aids.
The album changed urban contemporary music as it was known then.
“Some could say Fortune paved the way for urban grooves and is a pioneer of the genre but I would actually say urban grooves failed to emulate what Fortune was trying to do. They missed by a very wide margin.
I am of the opinion that no one has quite grasped what Wasu was trying to do with our music,” Shonhai added.
It is undeniable that Fortune was a brilliant futuristic artist. What is perplexing is how the works of such a gifted musician are so underappreciated.
Sadly, when international glory seemed to be beckoning for Fortune, the musician died just two months after his works court the attention of Konvict Muzik, one of the best recording companies in the world.
It was in August, 2008 when Kevin Hughes, a respected UK radio DJ played Fortune Muparutsa’s Dream Girl for the first time on his show. Hughes and his many listeners were left speechless.
Among the listeners was Konvict Muzik founder, international R&B singer, Akon, who was equally captivated by the Zimbabwean artiste’s talent.
Akon’s reaction was classic, “That’s hot! Man can you send that to me like right now? I am gonna sign up that kid”.
Great but at the same time sad.
Fortune Muparutsa, who regarded Akon as his role model, had been making music for a longer period than the R’nB legend and he was six years older than the US-based Senegalese star. It was probably a case of place and opportunity.
It was, however, great that a global star like Akon was bowled over by Fortune’s talent. Hughes, the DJ who introduced Fortune’s Dream Girl to Akon, even declared the late musician as the next big thing to happen to R’n B music.
The song still sounds as fresh 14 years after its release.
Akon’s comments were a fitting compliment to an artiste who made popular computer programmed music in Zimbabwe through his timeless hits and the music he produced on behalf of other artistes. Fortune’s works served as the foundation for a generation of artistes that came after him.
The following are excerpts from articles on what some of Zimbabwe’s leading new generation of artistes had to say about Fortune’s talent.
Booker T, a ragga artiste who once worked with Fortune:
“During his time, Fortune was way ahead of the rest and it’s unfortunate that some of us could not afford his services. One of his strengths was in getting the best out of an artist, something that impressed me as I saw him at work from Country Boy with the above mentioned productions. We should also take note that Fortune had switched to Digital Production, hence the quality and most of his peers were complimenting his efforts with Analogue Production”.
Musician Shame of Shame and Nathan fame, said Fortune Muparutsa was not a mass production guy.
“He put more effort into quality. Working with the late Fortune Mparutsa was like a University experience”.
Khulekani Bethuleaka Khuxxman described Fortune as a musical legend who had a Midas touch when it came to producing unique sounds.
He said: “Songs such as Country boy, In my dreams and others were excellent and are still relevant today, showing how much influence they had!”
Urban grooves star, Alexio Kawara, worked with the late artiste when he produced two of his hit songs, Ndinomhanya and Kumba Kwenyu. He described the end result as simply, “Timeless”.
South African- based rapper, Alishias Musimbe aka Maskiri credits Fortune for his rise as a musician and acknowledges the role he played in shaping his career.
“I used to go to Fortune’s studio as a young man. R’n B was my favourite genre but Muparutsa advised me that I am good at writing and raping. This is how I opted for rap music.
Hapana so far chinhu chakambogadzirwa muZim chinosvika even padhuze. Bvunzai Vakuru venyu vanoziva music. (There is nothing that was produced in Zimbabwe music wise that comes close to Fortune’s works. Ask your elders who understand music)” said Maskiri.
Maskiri and Fortune did a groovy tune, Huya Tisangane together, which remains relevant even in today’s setting.
But who was this genius revered by other artistes to an extent of labeling him futuristic?
Fortune Tendai Muparutsa was a popular Zimbabwean singer, song writer and music producer, born on the 14th of June in 1968. Born to a musical family based in Dangamvura, Mutare, he attended Rujeko Primary School where his keyboard-playing finesse mesmerized everyone, including his peers. Fortune, however, started his musical career in earnest just after finishing secondary school.
He was also known by the monikers Wasu or the WOFman in showbiz circles with the later being a self-given nickname plucked off the title of his only album, Wheels of Fortune.
“Fortune had an amazing flair on the keyboard. I could tell back then that he was immensely talented and would go very far in the industry because the stuff he was already doing at a tender age was simply incredible. I am not surprised with the lofty heights he scaled in his solo career as a musician and producer,” said Peter “The Cool Dude” Muparutsa, a musician and brother to Fortune.
His brothers Peter and Jerry were already part of the band ‘Sound Power’ which split in the 1970s. Together with Bothwell Nyamhondera, Peter Phiri and the late Alois Muyaruka they formed the Real Unique Natural Notion (RUNN) Family group.
The group was divided into two, A and B and Fortune was with the latter. He later joined the A group in 1986 when one of the group’s lead artistes, Nyamhondera, moved to the capital, Harare.
Fortune wasted no time in making his magic felt. Within a year of joining the A group, he changed them for the better in 1987 when they did a tribute to the late former President, Robert Mugabe. The song became an instant hit and gave them the big breakthrough they needed. The Runn Family went on to release other hits, ‘Inhapitapi Chete’ and ‘Moyo Muti Unomera Paunoda’.
In 1989, Fortune’s big brother Peter left the group and this prompted the then young artiste to quit the band. Fortune went on to join musician Clancy Mbirimi and Newman Chipeni who were members of the vastly talented group, Harare Mambos.
He was to work with many other artistes and bands that same year. Fortune did guitar work for the star studded talented band, Ilanga and also played keyboards for Andy Brown’s Storm.
The Sangoma hit-maker then decided to pursue a solo career in the late 1980s. He announced his recording solo career with a series of hit singles that included Sangoma, Ngairohwe Ngoma and Rumours.
As he mellowed as an artiste, Fortune extended his horizon into music production, becoming one of the first to set up an independent studio in the country. He worked with several urban grooves artists, producing hit after hit. Some of the hits he produced include In My Dreams by Innocent Utsiwegota, Ndinomhanya by Alexio Kawara, Boy U Got To Know by Tia and Come To Party by Major Playaz, to mention a few.
He had four kids and was married to Christine Mukute.
In the months leading to his death, Muparutsa had made a name for himself on the international scene.
Muparutsa died 14 years ago on the 25th October, 2008 in the United Kingdom where he was based but his legacy lives on. Sadly, family squabbles over the late musician’s royalties and properties in the UK and in Zimbabwe caused delays in his burial.
It took nine months for the musical genius’ remains to be interred to their final resting place as his sister, Harriet Muparutsa in Harare, accused her siblings in UK and the musician’s widow of having caused Fortune’s death. Official records, however, showed that the artiste had died due to leukaemia (cancer of the blood or bone marrow).
He was buried in Mutare on 26 July, 2009.
Fortune influenced a generation of new incredible producers, including Dj Tamuka, Oskid, and Levels, among many others. More than a hundred recording studios have sprung up across the country, with thousands of artists, the majority of whom are pursuing the urban sound genre, getting a fair chance to have their works recorded.
Indeed the artiste they called Wasu or WOFman was a fortune to the world of music.
