Online Reporter
Tafadzwa Zimoyo-Zimpapers Entertainment Editor
Could this ever be experienced in Zimbabwe again?
Intotal Band proved that it is a total package when it comes to complete entertainment, giving fans value for their money as Ecobank Legends Night Africa 2.0 turned Alex Sports Club into a pulsating celebration of African music.
It was a full house, but more importantly, it was a house full of memories. Hasta La Vista!
For several hours, generations met through music as yesteryear hits were dusted off, revived and given fresh life by a youthful band that has clearly understood one important thing about entertainment — respect the legends, but do not be afraid to carry the music forward.
Intotal’s assignment was never going to be easy. The build-up had been accompanied by social-media drama, criticism and attempts by some voices to derail the event. Yet the young musicians remained vigilant, focused and, crucially, undeterred.
They took to the stage and did what musicians are supposed to do. They played.
And they played with the blessing and approval of the very legends whose music they were recreating. That made the performances more than cover versions.
They became musical conversations between generations. One could feel the young musicians studying the phrasing, rhythms and character of the originals, before adding their own youthful energy.
The result was a scintillating journey through Zimbabwe’s musical memory — hit after hit, memory after memory. And the audience responded.
This is where Intotal has found its identity.
It is not merely a backing band, but has become a musical bridge. A bridge between the music that raised today’s parents and the generation now taking those songs into tomorrow.
Sungura maestro, Alick Macheso understood that perfectly. The singer, who had a short stint on stage, proved once again why he remains a man of the people when he joined the youngsters in their performance.
What followed was one of the night’s lighter and more memorable moments.
Macheso watched the young musicians play his music and was visibly impressed.
“Maiwee!” he exclaimed — an expression of excitement that captured the moment better than any long speech could. He was not simply watching youngsters perform. He was watching a generation carry his sound.
Macheso later acknowledged that the future is bright, an endorsement that carried considerable weight coming from one of Zimbabwe’s most influential musicians.
The African character of the evening was also evident in the strong Bulawayo representation.
Cool Crooners, Albert Nyathi, Iyasa, Jeys Marabini and Sandra Ndebele ensured that Matabeleland’s musical voice was firmly represented. Cool Crooners brought their trademark vocal harmonies, while Nyathi, Marabini and Ndebele reminded the audience of the depth and diversity of Bulawayo’s contribution to Zimbabwean music.
Then came the gospel corner.
Mai Patai and Ivy Kombo took the audience down another lane of nostalgia, revisiting songs that once dominated gospel spaces.
Mai Patai’s “Mazambara”, the song that helped establish her name on the local gospel scene, remains an emotional favourite.
Kombo, meanwhile, carried the memories of her gospel catalogue, but chose Handidzokere Shure. It was a reminder that nostalgia does not belong to one genre. It belongs to Africa.
And then came the giants from beyond Zimbabwe.
Yondo Sister and Salif Keita may have been given approximately 30 minutes each, but neither appeared interested in using age as an excuse. Quite the opposite.
They gave the youngsters a run for their money. Yondo Sister, at 68, was particularly spectacular. If anybody arrived expecting the years to have taken away the famous dance energy, they left with a different story.
The Sister can still dance. She moved with the confidence and freedom associated with the performer audiences remember from decades ago, proving that some things really do remain in the blood.
Her songs triggered sing-alongs, while her infectious stage presence had the crowd mesmerised. At one point, she greeted the Zimbabwean audience with a simple but powerful: “Mhoroi Zimbabwe!”
The response was immediate.
Salif Keita followed with the authority of an African musical institution. The Malian legend’s golden voice remains unmistakable, and when he performed “Africa”, the venue was transformed into one giant choir.
His message to the crowd was equally simple:“I love you all.”
For a concert billed around African legends, those moments captured the essence of the evening.
Mali. Congo. Zimbabwe.
Different countries, different histories, different musical traditions — but one audience.
One continent. One rhythm.
The VVIP section reflected the significance of the occasion, with senior Government officials, the Mayor of Harare, sports administrators, politicians, business leaders and celebrities among those who turned up.
Ecobank senior executive Michael Dengwani thanked fans for supporting Legends Night and spoke of the bank’s intention to continue growing the initiative and supporting young musicians as part of its community responsibility.
Dengwani also connected the initiative to his family’s musical heritage, explaining that supporting music was, for him, part of honouring his late father’s wishes as a musician.
He later switched to Swahili as he invited Yondo Sister and Salif Keita onto the stage — another fitting African touch to an evening built around continental unity.
Ecobank has previously described Legends Night as an initiative intended to keep Zimbabwean and African musical heritage alive and relevant to future generations.
For Intotal founder member Joseph Chinouriri, however, this was only another chapter.
He thanked the audience and everyone who supported the production. “Our journey is continuing.”
And perhaps that is the most appropriate conclusion.
Because at Alex Sports Club, Intotal did not merely reproduce old songs.
It proved that yesterday’s music can still speak to tomorrow’s generation.
Africa came to the party.
Zimbabwe answered.
And Intotal supplied the soundtrack.
Social media was also agog yesterday, but this time the conversation had changed dramatically, with scores of people saluting and applauding the youngsters for a bold initiative that brought Africa’s musical giants and Zimbabwe’s own legends onto one stage. The online noise had given way to respect, with many acknowledging that Intotal had taken a risk — and delivered.
Hasta La Vista! Could this been experienced again?
