SUNGURA music superstar Somandla Ndebele said he misses the late musician Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo, whom he described as a loving friend.
TRIBUTE TO DHEWA BY CLAYTON MASEKESA
In a recent interview with The Standard Style, Ndebele said every time he stages shows, he recalls how he used to do joint performances with Dhewa, who died aged 43 on October 15 2011 after a long battle with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“Dhewa was my best friend and I always remember him every time I am on stage. That is why I often play his songs during most of my shows,” he said.
“Without him, I feel lonely. Every time I visit places that where we used to perform together, I am overwhelmed by those fond memories,” said Mafia, as Ndebele is fondly known in the musical circles.
Ndebele and Moyo had a duet called Mwoyo Wekurera which became a hit. The song is popularly known as Masimba Amwari.
The video of the song was equally good and was popular on national television.
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“He left a huge gap in the music sector that will be difficult to fill. I lost a great friend indeed and I can feel that there is something missing in me. I miss him so much,” he said.
“Like we had sung Mwoyo Wekurera together, we cannot avoid death. We can do everything, but we cannot run away from death, it’s inevitable. His death pained me and up to now it is still difficult to accept that my best friend is no longer with me,” he said.
Ndebele has released a song to honour and remember Moyo. The song Tribute to Tongai Moyo is off his latest album Zvemberi Makasa.
“We worked together for a long time as one group and performed together. I travelled with him all the time,” Ndebele said.
Last week several musical galas were held in the country to mark the fourth anniversary of Dhewa’s death.
Dhewa was buried at his rural home in Sisombe Village in Zhombe.
The talented musician started his career in 1988 in Kwekwe. To honour his craft, the Muchinamuhombe singer, played with a number of musical groups, before joining a Kwekwe-based outfit, Shirichena Jazz Band as a session musician.
He helped the band release two albums and a single. The most popular was Ndoita Zvangu Ndega, which was released in 1991. Moyo was virtually unknown by then.
He went on to create his own band, Utakataka Express after which he released his first album, Vimbo in 1996. The album earned him a name in the music industry, which was dominated by the likes of Nicholas Zakaria and Alick Macheso who sang the same genre.
Since then, he never looked back and went on to release 14 albums. The album, Naye, saw Dhewa hogging the limelight with Nemumvura Mese, earning him two awards at the National Arts Merit Awards.
At the time of his death, Moyo had just released his 14th album Toita Basa.
