Online Reporter
THIRTY years ago, the number one song on the local scene was Leonard Zhakata’s classic ‘Nhamo Dzenyika.’
It took the coveted spot of number one on the end-of-year Radio Zimbabwe Coca-Cola Top 20 charts in 1995.
It consolidated Zhakata’s emergence as a real force on the local musical scene.
At the age of just 26, in 1994, Zhakata became the youngest Zimbabwean best-selling musician after his debut solo album, ‘Maruva Enyika’, sold more than 120 000 copies.
The chartbusting album carried the anthemic gem − Mugove − a masterpiece production whose sound is still crispy and fresh like a newly-released project.
Zhakata had mastered poetic lyricism and sounded wise in all his compositions.
Nicknamed Karikoga, which means a loner, Zhakata had come of age during this golden period for the musician.
The boy who used to sneak from home to play music with his primary school mates, Zhakata did not know that he would become one of Zimbabwe’s legendary lyricists whose song writing prowess is unmatched.
From humble beginnings in Masvosva Village under Chief Makoni’s area, where he was born, Zhakata rose to become a powerhouse on the local musical scene.
And, back in 1995, when Nhamo Dzenyika ruled the scene, he was also probably the number one artist in this country.
The sudden transformation into superstardom also appeared to shock him.
“We underestimated our popularity when we visited Mutare in 1994,” he once told the late Zimpapers Entertainment reporter Godwin Muzari.
“Our song ‘Mugove’ was beginning to make waves, but we were still hesitant to call it a hit. When we arrived at Sakubva Stadium for a show, we got the shock of our lives.
“People mobbed our car. I was with Thomas Makion and, as soon as I stepped out of the car, I was hauled up with force. For a moment, I was confused as fans carried me to the stage.
“Makion had to use an empty bottle that was in the car to scare away fans to avoid being lifted too. He was afraid of losing his belongings in the commotion and was not sure about our safety in such circumstances.
“I was thrown on stage and there was excitement in the stadium. That is when we realised our mission was bigger than our expectations.”
Zhakata and his late nephew Makion exploded on the scene as the Maungwe Brothers.
“The Mutare show was indeed an eye-opener. We were to encounter such receptions at other next shows and we got used to it with time. We knew we had multitudes of fans to serve and it meant a lot of hard work.”
A similar incident took place in Zvishavane where some fans were injured in a melee at Mandava Stadium after the Maungwe Brothers arrived late for a show.
“We had a problem on our way to Zvishavane and we arrived for the show late. Thousands of fans were gathered outside the stadium and there was pressure as soon as we arrived. We had just begun performing when fans brought down the security wall at the stadium.
“There was commotion and most fans got in for free. It was unfortunate because some fans were injured in the chaos. We had a huge loss but we proceeded with the show and the huge crowd really enjoyed the night.
“Because of the unfortunate incident, we began to engage the services of the police for security. We were initially hiring security companies and the police became our permanent solution to avoid similar incidents.” − H-Metro Reporter/The Herald/Radio Zimbabwe
