Sungura music has evolved over the years: Peter Mo...

Sungura music has evolved over the years: Peter Moyo

Michael Mashiri

Peter Moyo, aka Young Igwe, has proved to a force to reckon with among the sons of departed legendary musicians as he has been riding high after the successful launch of his album titled Mwana WaMambo, a launch he combined with his late father, sungura legend Tongai Moyo’s commemoration.

The show he dubbed “Dhewa Commemoration” marked 12 years since his father’s demise in 2011.

Many who used associate the artiste with mediocrity are slowly appreciating the sungura musician after his latest release, some music lovers allege has a Leonard Dembo feel, especially the lead guitar.

Mwana WaMambo has captivated a number of Utakataka Express fans as it has proved Peter’s virtuoso in the genre.

Born in 1989 at Kwekwe General Hospital in the Midlands city of Kwekwe, Peter started doing music in 2011, after his father’s death.

“There are only two of us who are carrying our father’s legacy. There is Tongai Junior and myself and we were inspired by Dhehwa who sing like him,” Peter said in an interview.

“My first album was in 2013, called Mushonga Mukuru, with the second one, Mabasa AMwari, coming in 2015 before Mopao Mokonzi in 2017. A year later, we came with Murozvi Mukuru, while the last one was a collabo with Baba Harare, Freeman among others titled Mopao Mokonzi again,” the musician said.

Peter inherited his father’s band, Utakataka Express, after his demise.

“So far, there are 18 of us, some have moved, especially guitarists and dancers, but many who worked with my father are still there. The likes of Spencer Kumulani, Tendai Chaparirongo, also known as Yamathele, Baba Jahwi, Shiga Shiga. There is not much change.

His musical journey, though has had good and bad times, but we have promoters such as Chipaz, Esau Mupfumi, Cosie Rules and Josh Hozheri, who worked with his father for many years and are still with Utakataka Express today.

On his association with Lorraine Guyo, Peter said Lorraine is his nephew.

“It’s not that I’m now an actor, Lorraine is a nephew of Chihera, she is a nephew of the Dhewa totem, so l will be helping my nephew, but l am in music,” Peter said.

The musician said that there are things that his father left behind and they have picked up from him.

“These are things that were left for us, smartness is in our blood. We are seeing the Zimdancehall artists are also imitating being smart, they no longer use violent lyrics because they will be imitating the sungura style. We also see others copying Dhewa’s sungura style and that shows he was a big brand.

“He was leading Zimbabwe when it comes to dressing.

Peter also spoke of non-sungura songs, especially those with a reggae taste, which he said come up as he is seated at home. Are some things that come to my mind that are not sungura, but we just record for Zimbabweans to consume.

“We once did an album called Mixed Bag, there is reggae, contemporary, and gospel, people are actually supporting it. If things come to our mind there is nowhere we can put it, we just sing for the people,” he said.

The sungura genre, Peter said, has been undergoing changes ever since the Leonard Dembo era then Dhewa and Alick Macheso’s era, is changing and developing.

“The sungura I am doing is different from that being done by Mark Ngwazi, Simon Mutambi, Romeo Gasa or Senator but it’s all sungura,” he told Zim Now.

There are accusations though that Peter does not take his music career seriously compared to his father.

“The problem is, what does serious mean, because when my father was still alive, there was no Facebook, there was no WhatsApp. So, if you see me on Facebook sending pictures while in the rural areas, you are tempted to think that I am not serious. When my father was alive, you could not tell where he was, maybe he would spend time in shebeens, drinking, so when they say serious, l do not know what they will be trying to say. l think they must explain what the term serious means.

“Back then, the fans would rebuke my father because he did not have a Facebook account, right? I cannot die of depression because someone is insulting me out there. You may not like me, but do not come to my Facebook page and insult me. If l die of depression who will look after my children? If you insult me, l will insult you,” Peter said.

Peter said his music comes in different ways. It might come while I am in the car, sometimes when I am drinking and even when I am on stage.

He added that he does his own thing while Tongai Obert Moyo does his own thing.

“Each one of us does his own thing. On releasing new music together, time will tell,” Young Igwe said.