Gift Amuli
| Gift Amuli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Gift Amuli |
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Occupation |
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| Parent(s) | Jane Dube (mother) |
Gift Amuli is a Zimbabwean musician who specialises in the Sungura genre. He is well known for his hit song Wamatuka. His fans affectionately know him as Case.
Background
Gift Amuli's mother is Jane Dube. Amuli uses his mother's surname. His mother was abused and impregnated by her white employer and she was dismissed from ‘work’ where she was employed as a domestic worker in Gweru’s low-density suburbs. She did not even notify her parents about what had happened to her. It was only when Amuli’s mother gave birth that her parents got to know their daughter had been abused. Amuli’s mother returned to the village and was shamed for falling pregnant out of wedlock. His mother did not reveal who Gift Amuli's father was. He grew up with his grandparents in Mkoba in Gweru.[1]
Education
He did his primary school education at Bumburwi Primary School. After completing primary school, Amuli's uncle called him to join him in Zvishavane for his secondary education and that is when Gift Amuli met Joseph Mutero who was fronting Zvishavane Sounds. During my ‘A’-Level studies at Regina Mundi High School, Amuli joined the Zig-Zag Band.[2]
Traditional Healing Career
In July 2022, it was revealed that Amuli had ventured into the traditional healing business in Zvishavane, a small mining town in Midlands Province.[3]
Amuli said illegal gold panners and dealers were the majority of his clients, adding that he was being forced to work during the day and at night to cater for all the people who visited his shrine. He said
Since 2014, things have been tight. My career as a musician stalled and some of the band members left me and started their own things. I then decided to go into traditional healing full-time.
However, in August 2022, Amuli reportedly abandoned his traditional healing calling and was seeking help from churches.[4]
Amuli was quoted as saying he could not handle the traditional healing duties anymore and had turned to Christianity for help. He said:
I ventured into traditional healing because I was told that was the only solution to end my personal problems which included strange dreams that haunted my life ever since I was a child.
I was somehow eager to start my duties and that is why I publicised it unashamedly. My duties required me to operate away from home.
This meant I had to abandon my family and stay out of town at KwaMabasa. This became one of the problems that were now affecting me because I needed my family with me.
I strangely fell sick and each night I felt like someone was choking me until I realised that the path I was taking was difficult and not good for me.
A family member advised me to seek help from churches, which is why I went to Madzibaba Yakope’s shrine in Macheke to look for help. I now want to live a normal life as in the past.
Music Career
Gift Amuli started off with the Zig Zag Band in the 80s before joining the Joseph Mutero led Zvishavane Sounds who produced the 90s hit Mutongi Gava.[5][6] Gift Amuli and other musicians were employed fully as musicians by Shabanie Mine as part of the mine's social responsibility.[5]
However in 2001, the conditions of work for the musicians changed and they were required to undergo training in any one of the mine's departments as full-time workers and part-time musicians. As a result, Amuli trained as an electrician.[5] In 2002, Amuli had a solo project, a five-track album titled Wedangwe which did not do well.[6] In 2003, Amuli left the mine's employ and left for South Africa in search of greener pastures and when he came back he produced the album Munozvigona Sei.[5] It is this album that put him on the country's Sungura map with the hit Wamatuka.
Discography
Wedangwe (2002)
By Ginya (2011)
- Amai veVana
Munozvigona Sei
- Munozvigona Sei
- Wamatuka
- Muhope Ndinewe
Machena
- Nyasha
- Gamuchirai
- Nhai Baba
Yave Munesu-Bhora Mberi (2013)
- Bhora Mberi
- Muchengeti
- Muporofita
- Zvawada
- Ndiwe
- Ndirimuranda [7]
Controversy
Maintenance Case
In 2013 Amuli was taken to court by Clara Gutsa, who sued him for maintenance after he had failed to provide for their two children. Amuli consented to the amount that Gutsa wanted and agreed to contribute $250 per month for both children.[8] After court proceedings, Gutsa claimed that
"Amuli can afford to buy things for himself which cost thousands of dollars while he buys substandard clothes for the children which cost $2"[8]
Abandoning Band
Gift Amuli in 2014, allegedly abandoned his band for mining after failing to fully pay his band members for their festive season shows and paid them $5 for shows held at the end of 2013.[9] Courage, who was a band member is quoted as saying
"He promised to give us more money in January but we later heard he had gone to Zvishavane"[9]
Losing Car
In the same year, Amuli lost a car that he had received from Edias Mavedzenge to assist in resuscitating his waning music career. It is alleged that Amuli failed to employ one of Mavedzenge's relatives in the band as they had agreed. Lilanda Hungwe who was Amuli's former manager at the time confirmed the development saying
"As I speak Mavedzenge has the car. He took it because Amuli could not work according to the agreement"[10]
Picture Gallery
Video Gallery
References
- ↑ Fidelis Manyange, Curse turned gift……the story of Amuli and Brown, The Patriot, Published: December 8, 2016, Retrieved: January 3, 2022
- ↑ Fidelis Manyange, The return of Gift Amuli, The Patriot, Published: November 24, 2016, Retrieved: January 3, 2022
- ↑ Gift Amuli regrets not leaving music early, The Sunday Mail, Published: 19 June 2022, Retrieved 1 September 2022
- ↑ Amuli abandons sangoma trade, NewsDay, Published: 16 August 2022, Retrieved 1 September 2022
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Problem Masau, Gift Amuli launches new album, Herald, Published: October 2, 2013, Retrieved: July 22, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mutongi Gava, Joseph Mutero and Gift Amuli, Intimacy with Zim musicians, Published: September 25, 2011, Retrieved: July 22, 2015
- ↑ Amuli releases fourth album, NewsDay, Published: October 4, 2013, Retrieved: July 23, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gift Amuli in court, Herald, Published: August 19, 2013, Retrieved: July 23, 2015
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tawanda Marwizi Amuli abandons music for mining, Herald, Published: February 13, 2014, Retrieved: July 23, 2015
- ↑ Tawanda Marwizi Amuli loses car, Herald, Published: June 18, 2014, Retrieved: July 23, 2015
