Music promoter-cum-musician Brian Samaita says the late sungura icon Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo was the reason behind the success of sungura in the country.
By Staff Reporter
Dhewa died aged 43 on October 15 2011 after a long battle with cancer.
Samaita said sungura was fading into oblivion because the current crop of musicians lacked creativity and innovation.
“If you listen to sungura rhythms these days, they are similar to those that Dhewa used to dish out five years ago. There is nothing new. We are still relying on Dhewa’s acumen,” said Samaita, who was a close buddy of the late sungura star.
Samaita said there were a number of upcoming sungura musicians who were failing to make it in the cut-throat music industry because they have been compelled to perform under the armpits of the so-called established singers.
“You will find out that there are so many young sungura players who can do better than the so-called sungura maestros. These youngsters have been forced to play second fiddle to these ‘big’ names. Take for instance Simon Mutambi, he is such a great musician, but we are told that he is a nonentity,” he said.
The Murondatsimba Express frontman said Dhewa was a rare breed of sungura musicians whose music still stood the test of time.
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“If you play some dancehall tunes that were released this year and Moyo’s track Zakeo that was released six years ago, you will find that both the young and old will dance to Zakeo. Why? Because Dhewa’s music cuts across ages and stands the test of time,” he said.
Samaita, who is working on his yet-to-be-named fourth album set to be released next month, has vowed to keep the Dhewa legacy alive.
“Tongai inspired me a lot and I will not sit by the laurels while his music dies. I will keep supporting his group Utakataka Express. The Dhewa legacy should be kept alive and I know his son Peter will do that,” he said.
With three albums — Nemiwo Munazvo, Murodzi Wepfungwa and Tsono — under his belt, Samaita said the forthcoming album would announce his arrival on the local music scene.
“My music is more popular in Mozambique than in Zimbabwe, but I think this new album will announce my grand entrance on the local musical scene. It is purely sungura and there is one track titled Jerusarema that I did with Blessing Shumba,” he said.
Samaita said the album was being produced by veteran producer Bothwell Nyamhondera.
Moyo was buried at his rural home in Zhombe where an estimated 10 000 people attended the funeral. His popularity was evident when over 15 000 people packed Mbizo Stadium in Kwekwe to pay their last respects.
He had released a number of hit albums that included, Mudzimu Weshiri (2001), Samanyemba (2002), Chingwa (2003), Naye (2005) and Pakanaka Dhewa (2006).
