Sam Mtukudzi
About two years ago I got a call from Obiqsound to shoot the images for the new album of Max Wild on which he was collaborating with the African artist Sam Mtukudzi. To get to know their music I went to see them perform at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan.A few days later I photographed both of them and their band recording the album. Another three days later I did a shoot with Max and Sam at my friend Lucy’s apartment that has a deck and the day after that the three of us went to Times Square and to Bryant Park to take even more photographs.We had a great time.I looked at Sam Mtukudzi with awe. He was only 19 years old and the son of one of the most famous musicians in Africa Oliver Mtukudzi. He had an amazing voice, he played the guitar like god himself, had a great personality and was very self confident. He was everything I wasn’t at his age and I was wondering how my life would have played out if I would have been like him when I was that young.Sam Mtzukudzi died in a car accident today in Harare/Zimbabwe. He would have turned 22 on the first of April.I’m so sad! "Sam Mtukudzi" Manhattan/New York City/44th Street between 1st and 2nd/04-24-08 at 06:29 PM