WHEN the late Tongai Moyo exploded onto the music scene it was not only his finesse and etiquette with the guitar and vocals that made headlines but it was also the musician’s life that was full of uncertainties and calamities that haunted him in his lifetime. Report by Jairos Saunyama Own Correspondent
Yes, the nation lost a dedicated musician who contributed immensely to the music industry, but at various points, the nation came to believe that the great sungura musician’s life was infested with mysterious events that kept on unfolding till he breathed his last.
This led people to believe the Kwekwe-born musician was “cursed”.
Despite successfully taking over from where his father left, Dhewa’s son Peter has faced many challenges on his road to glory.
Within a short space of time Peter has endured a lot and questions were raised whether “Dehwa’s curse” is generational or not.
A few months after taking over the reins at Utakataka, Peter was robbed of some of the best lieutenants in the name of bassist Spencer Khumulani, vocalist Gift Shiga Shiga Katulika and Guyson Sixpence who joined flamboyant musician Energy Mutodi.
This was indeed a major blow to the musician who was on the path of leading a big band before being betrayed by his father’s right hand men.
However, he rebuilt the band.
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As if it is not enough, on December 14 last year his band members were involved in a car accident in Kadoma on their way from Gokwe where they had performed at the Unity gala. A drummer, only identified as Prince, broke both legs while bass guitarist Saviours Karikodzi suffered broken ribs. Two other bassists Emmanuel Sajeni and Judah Musindo sustained a broken spinal cord and leg, respectively.
Alvin Sibanda, Kudakwashe Chiteche, Evidence Tarabuka (better known as Baba Gari), Swela Dickson, Suko Dube and Willard Lot (Willo) escaped with minor injuries. The accident came a few days before a major Shut Down gig which saw Mutodi releasing Shiga Shiga and Spencer to help out Peter.
A week after the Young Igwe, as Peter is affectionately known, was dragged before the Magistrate in Kwekwe facing theft, assault and malicious damage to property.
Moyo appeared before magistrate Letwin Rwodzi facing charges of assaulting Ngonidzashe Gwatswaire and Leslie Madovi at Lot 4a, Plot 15 in Sherwood Block, Kwekwe, following a dispute over ownership of the piece of land.
The piece of land was allocated to his late father under the Land Reform Programme.
The “Young Igwe” also faced charges of allegedly stealing a toolbox containing an assortment of spanners and a hydraulic jack valued at $130 from a commuter omnibus belonging to Emmanuel Madovi.
Moyo was also being charged with malicious damage to property as defined in Section 140 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23 after he allegedly damaged the exhaust pipe of a tractor belonging to Gwatswaire.
Before, Moyo was also reportedly questioned by police after buying a BMW vehicle that was believed to have been stolen. All these series of challenges by the Young Igwe are convincing enough for one to ask whether he is cursed or not.
In as much as he alluded to the above statement misfortunes continued to haunt his life which led to his wife Barbara Muchengeti dying for his love after committing suicide.
Critics have often linked Tongai Moyo’s life with evil spirits inspiring bad luck, considering all the misfortunes that punctuated his musical and personal life.
Maybe when he sang the lyrics Musatonga vana vangu nemhosva dzangu mambo, he knew something was wrong and he never wanted the same calamities or misfortunes to follow his seeds.
Recently, Peter posted on his wall on Facebook boasting of the support he is getting from his fans.
Dhewa, who died after releasing fourteen albums, like most celebrities was not only controversial, but his musical career had a fair share of its ups and downs.
Many would recall how the musician almost abandoned music after being diagnosed of cancer. He lost revenue as much as he lost weight.
His wives ended up living in one house because he could not afford to fend for them separately. It was during the unfortunate spell that one of his key band members Mavara Mavurambudzi died.
In 2006, just 15km outside Kwekwe where he was based, Moyo could have died in an inferno when one of his vehicles caught fire.
But Moyo felt he needed to switch vehicles and drive the lorry that was carrying the PA system and other instruments.
In 2001, Tongai’s music kit together with the band’s car were destroyed in a road accident while he was coming from a show in Chiweshe.
Then he lost electrical gadgets worth millions of dollars after thieves broke into his Kwekwe residence while he was performing at the Koffi Olomide show at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
Mind you, Dhewa was one of the first people to drive the Mazda BT50 brand and it was also during this period that his Mazda BT50 was involved in an accident and crashed beyond repair and in the same accident his nephew Jacob Chosa was killed.
This was just one of the many accidents involving the musician’s cars and band members that occurred within two years.
That was not the end, in 2008, he lost his 18-seater kombi that he used to ferry band members for shows in a mysterious fire which left many wondering whether Dhewa was cursed or not.
This came hot on the heels of the injury to two of his band members in an accident on their way from weekend shows. The musician lost music equipment on numerous occasions through accidents and theft.
The biggest of all happened in 2003 when Moyo received the news of his father’s death at the airport where he was on his way to the United Kingdom.
The Kwekwe-born musician left many in awe when he proceeded with the UK tour despite receiving the message of his father’s death.
The following year Dhewa lost his brother to murder.
Moreover, his first wife Barbara Muchengeti died after committing suicide.
Muchengeti died of jealous after accusing Dhewa of marrying a second wife Miniehle and the two women.
Such has been a miserable life that the musician endured in the years that his career was blossoming and many people have been asking themselves why is misfortune always following the musician?
In an interview with The Standard in 2010, Professor Gordon Chavhunduka, a veteran sociologist and traditional healer said the continuous problems in Moyo’s life was a sign of bad spirits.
“Most misfortunes come from within the family. It might be a result of a bad thing that was done or something that was not properly done in the family,” said Chavhunduka.
If misfortunes or curses are hereditary, therefore the question is, Are curses generational or not?
Is what his son Peter going through normal?
