Rising sungura artiste Peter “Young Igwe” Moyo believes the
way he has turned his life around is making his late father Tongai smile
contentedly in the afterlife.
After Tongai “Dewa” Moyo succumbed to non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Cancer on this day exactly six years ago, Peter took over the leadership of
both his father’s family and backing band-the Utakataka Express.
For close to four years after his celebrated father’s
death, the upcoming artiste was a target of criticism largely because of
womanising.
But Young Igwe insisted in an interview with the Daily News
on Sunday that he is now a changed man.
“Well to be honest, I think at the moment I am doing what
most fathers in Zimbabwe would want their children to do when they have passed
on; continuing with the family legacy.
“I guess from wherever my father is, he is proud of me,”
said Peter.
The upcoming sungura artiste added that the womanising that
characterised his life soon after the death of his father resulted from lack of
maturity.
“Well, the truth is that it is part of growing up. Everyone
goes through such a stage before becoming a more mature person.
“I guess I am mature now and am now focusing on
perpetuating my late father’s legacy while at the same time building my own.
“I have learnt that life is not easy … I became a father
figure of several families at the age of
23 and that is not a joke my brother…a 23-year-old handling finances and managing to complete the house my
father left incomplete when he died.
“To be honest, I don’t want to take credit for that, God
was in control and he still is,” he told the Daily News on Sunday.
In commemoration of his father who died on October 15,
2011, Young Igwe has lined up some concerts at the end of the month which will
feature Zora star Leonard Zhakata.
Peter concedes, though, that this year’s commemorative gigs
for his father will be fairly low-key.
“We will hold the main commemorative gig at Extra Mile
Leisure Spot in Harare on October 29. We intend to do a few gigs with Zhakata
before the main event.
“I agree that under normal circumstances we should have
held the event in a bigger venue but we couldn’t secure a suitable venue.
“Big venues are difficult to get now. In the past we used
to hold the event in the Harare Gardens,” he said.
Young Igwe justified the involvement of Zhakata in the
annual Dewa Commemorative gigs.
“My father liked Zhakata’s music and I am also a big fan of
his music. In the past commemorative gigs, I never got to share the stage with
him that is why I have decided to make amends this year.
“I am very happy that Zhakata has agreed to partner with
me. He is a very professional and talented musician.
“His voice is original; it is so unbelievably good. He is
like Progress Chipfumo and Baba naMai Charamba in terms of having a good
voice,” he said.
Many fans of the late Tongai have encouraged Young Igwe to
remix some of his late father’s hits as a way of remembering him but the rising
sungura artiste is not willing to take that route.
“I don’t want to remix my father’s hits because I will
taint their quality. They are good enough as they are.
“Maybe what I will do much later is to re-record some of
his less popular songs from his first four albums.
“But I will only do that maybe after I have established
myself as a music brand maybe after my fifth album,” said Peter, who launched
his third album titled Mopao Mokonzi in May this year.
His third album includes
tracks such as Mweya Mutsvene, Baba Namai, Kurera Haizi Nyore (featuring
Andy Muridzo,) Mudiwa Wangu, Musara Pavana and Muridzi Weupenyu.
On Mopao Mokonzi, Young Igwe collaborated with CAPS United
Football Club and Zimbabwe goalkeeper Edmore “Zikeeper” Sibanda and gospel
artiste Trymore Bande.
The Kwekwe-born artiste burst onto the music scene in 2013
when he released his debut album — Mushonga Mukuru. He followed it up with
Mabasa aMwari two years later. Daily News
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