Australian-based Zimbabwean Afro-contemporary jazz artist Rue Tava, born Rumbidzai Tavaziva, has marked a powerful return to the music scene with the release of her deeply personal five-track EP, Musha Uno. Rooted in soul, tradition, and the enduring spirit of her hometown Chitungwiza, the project signals a creative resurgence shaped by reflection, loss, and healing.
By Plot Mhako
With over two decades of experience in the music industry, Rue Tava is no stranger, working from behind the scenes with several legendary artists. Her influence has touched the journeys of celebrated artists including Pax Afro, the late Chiwoniso Maraire, Charles Summerfield, Victor Kunonga, Dino Mudondo, Willom Tight and Shai Shai. Her work also includes notable collaborations connected to the late jazz icon Bra Hugh Masekela.
Despite this rich legacy, Tavaziva stepped away from the public eye following the devastating loss of close friends within the industry, choosing instead to prioritise family, healing, and inner restoration.
That season of stillness profoundly transformed her artistry. Returning as Rue Tava, she brings music infused with raw emotion, spiritual depth, and renewed purpose. Musha Uno blends jazz, Afro-fusion, mbira, and storytelling into a soundscape that honours her roots while fearlessly exploring new emotional terrain. The EP reflects both the voices that shaped her and the silence that taught her to listen.
The title track, Musha Uno, is a haunting reflection on domestic abuse hidden behind closed doors, exposing the silent trauma endured by families forced to perform happiness in public.
Aenda tells the tender story of a young girl who leaves home to follow her heart, leaving behind parents caught between hope and heartbreak. Handichada is a bold declaration of self-worth, bidding farewell to a love that turned toxic. Collaborating with Mwenje Mathole on Unamate, Rue Tava delivers a prayerful anthem of resilience, urging faith in the face of betrayal and spiritual battles.
The EP closes with A Mother’s Cry, a heartbreaking plea for the protection of children and a call for compassion, justice, and change.
Balancing her creative life with a full-time career, marriage, and motherhood, Rue Tava’s music is firmly grounded in lived experience. Through Musha Uno, she offers not just songs, but truth, an honest reflection of love, struggle, faith, and everyday bravery.
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