tawandamusarurwa
The quest to come up with new duels that could add fillip to the waning genre has, however, been abysmal thus far. A recent attempt to pit promising up-and-coming artiste Mark Ngwazi with Macheso was especially desperate, if not laughable. Although Ngwazi’s recent offering ‘Nharo Nezvinenharo’ was laudable, it woefully did not have popular appeal. Attendance at music shows indicates that the gulf between the two is huge
Tendai Chara
When sungura ace Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo succumbed to cancer on October 15, 2011, at the tender age of 43, his fans were naturally disconsolate.
Fate had dealt them a cruel hand by cutting the tall, handsome muso’s life short.
Born and raised in Kwekwe, Dhewa, who fronted the Utakataka Express band, rose to fame in the late 1990s.
Initially, he struggled to detach himself from the shadow of the late music great Leonard Dembo, from whom he got inspiration.
His lyricism, arrangement and delivery resembled his idol’s, which led some fans to dismiss him as a wannabe copycat who would not amount to anything in the heavily contested local music arena.
But Dhewa soon became his own man by defining a distinctive brand of music whose allure had a cross-generational appeal.
It is, however, his intense duels with Alick Macheso that helped sungura evolve into the most dominant genre, eclipsing urban grooves, which was popular with the youths, and also the then-nascent Zimdancehall.
There are some who claim that with competition dead and buried – literally – Macheso no longer has the fire in his belly and unbridled creativity that elevated him to the pantheon of local music gods.
With well over 14 albums produced in a career spanning more than 20 years, Tongai Moyo, who had a strong stage presence and an undoubted irresistible star power, helped define an epoch by penning immensely popular songs such as “Murozvi Mukuru” – better known as “Samanyemba” – “Naye” and “Muchina Muhombe”, among others.
Ultimately, he proved to be Macheso’s worthy rival.
His song “Nemumvura Mese”, off the album “Naye”, earned him two Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) awards.
Perhaps one of his biggest contributions to sungura was his ability to transform the genre from being perceived as rural and unsophisticated into trendy contemporary music that had appeal across the general divide.
Of course, his dress sense and choreography made this mission all the more easier.
Yawning Gap
It is not surprising that some 12 years after his demise, Dhewa’s absence is still being felt.
Its impact on sungura has been quite apparent.
At the peak of his powers, fans were naturally divided.
His die-hard supporters would still swear that he was a better musician than Macheso.
And the debate still continues to this day.
On numerous occasions, the two entertainers fiercely contested for the Number One spot both on radio and television chart shows.
As is the nature with showbiz, the rumour mill was also in overdrive, trying to add mystery and spice to the supposed beef between the duo, claiming at one time that they were dating the same women.
It is the kind of stuff that keeps fans engaged and animated, and keeps the music alive.
As rumour had it, the tiff between the artistes inspired them to produce “diss” songs against each other.
But all this changed on that fateful day in October 2011.
“Macheso is clearly lacking strong competition. During Dhewa’s time, the musicians went toe-to-toe but this is not the case anymore,” Alois Mwandiambira, a sungura music fan, said.
He reckons that sungura would have been a whole lot better if Dhewa was still alive.
Apart from his rivalry with Macheso, his fans still miss his charisma, electric stage performances and well-thought-out songs.
Menard Zvoma, another keen sungura follower, said Dhewa’s absence has resulted in less people attending sungura gigs.
“I noticed that apart from Macheso, there is not a single sungura artiste who can attract a decent crowd during live performances these days. Dhewa was a crowd-puller and he contributed immensely to the popularity of sungura,” added Zvoma.
It is now only Macheso who can pull sizeable crowds during live performances.
Big shoes to fill
The quest to come up with new duels that could add fillip to the waning genre has, however, been abysmal thus far.
A recent attempt to pit promising up-and-coming artiste Mark Ngwazi with Macheso was especially desperate, if not laughable.
Although Ngwazi’s recent offering “Nharo Nezvinenharo” was laudable, it woefully did not have popular appeal.
Attendance at music shows indicates that the gulf between the two is huge.
The two artistes recently staged shows at the same venue in Chitungwiza.
With Macheso charging a US$10 entrance fee, the venue was filled to the rafters by a more than 3000-strong crowd.
However, when Ngwazi performed, an estimated 100 fans paid to see him.
The young musician admits he still has a long way to go.
“I cannot be compared to Alick Macheso. He is a legend, a godfather, and I am still learning from him. In fact, Macheso cannot be compared to anyone in Zimbabwe, not only in sungura,” Ngwazi said in one of his recent interviews with The Sunday Mail.
Prominent music promoter Partson “Chipaz” Chimboza has a different opinion.
“Dhewa’s death did not, in any way, affect sungura music. The thing is that we now have so many musical genres and some of the former sungura fans have shifted to other genres,” Chipaz said.
Dhewa’s background
Tongai Moyo started his career in 1988 in his hometown, Kwekwe.
He shot to the limelight after releasing the monster hits “Samanyemba” and “Mudzimu weshiri”.
During the time he was trying to make a name for himself, sungura was dominated by a formidable cast that included the inimitable Simon Chimbetu, Nicholas Zacharia and Macheso, among others.
He started playing with numerous bands and eventually joined Shirichena Jazz Band as a session musician.
He helped Shirichena release two albums and a single.
Not satisfied with the way his career was progressing, Dhewa decided to create his own band, Utakataka Express, after which he released his first solo album, “Vimbo”, in 1996.
The song “Ndoita Zvangu Ndega” thrust the then virtually unknown Dhewa into the spotlight.
Since then, he never looked back.
At the time of his death, he had just released his 14th album, “Toita Basa”, with the popular tracks “Ndiro Yababa” and “Nhasi Ndadiwa”.
The final album, which was released on November 25, 2010 by Gramma Records, was dropped while the singer was being treated for cancer, which had been diagnosed in 2008.
The song “Ndinobvuma” was especially dedicated to his fight against the disease.
Online Reporter