Ailing Tongai Moyo to host eight shows

Tongai Moyo

Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo has put behind him his health worries to line up a massive eight shows over the festive period,

 the sungura guru confirmed on his hospital bed in Harare at the weekend.

With his Utakataka Express backing band still stoking hot up-tempo guitar rhythms, the Kwekwe-based ensemble hits the scene on Christmas Eve and will not take a rest until completing their hectic and defiant schedule on January 3. The 40-year-old star was adamant the countrywide tour will not impact on his fragile health.

“People should expect to see the Dhewa that they know. My hair is now growing, which means my trademark box cut is also coming back. Plus I know that I haven’t been doing much dancing lately, so fans should expect to see those dances on stage. I want to dance for my fans,’’ said Moyo in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Mail Leisure from his hospital bed at St Anne’s Hospital in Avondale on Friday.

“The doctors say I have to exercise and that is what I will be doing, in fact, I look forward to going back to the gym. We are only taking advantage of the festive season because we lost out on the 13th cheque while I was undergoing treatment.

“We had to turn down several bonus shows that come with the festive season, but our programme never really changed. After these shows we will take our annual leave for three weeks and I am sure that will give me and the boys enough time to rest.”

During the last six months when Dhewa was under treatment, his band only missed one weekend’s worth of shows in a month but managed to tour Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa. Born and bred in Kwekwe, the trained medical nurse says he feels very much indebted to his band members who stood by him through the hard times.

“The guys are happy and I know they are rejuvenated and raring to go. This coming year is going to be my year. I am releasing my thirteenth album and I am also releasing another DVD album plus a 1995 project that we did with Oliver Mtukudzi when he was still based in Kwekwe and we were still just Utakataka,” chronicled Moyo.

Looking ahead, the “Samanyemba” hitmaker said he was ready to take positive action that will prevent the cancer known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that he is suffering from, from recurring.

“Dhewa” said he had done away with certain “luxuries” and changed his ways to ensure that he never has to undergo cancer treatment again.

“I have completed 12 sessions of chemotherapy and I also want this one to be the last, from now onwards it is a matter of spiritual healing and positive thinking that will ensure that I am fully healed.

“The doctors say they have done everything that can be done medically and that all is left up to me to change my behaviour. Last time I relaxed and missed some reviews, which is why this cancer recurred,” he said.

Among the changes Dhewa is taking are doing away with fast foods. In fact, from now onwards he will be eating traditional food only. “I am going traditional full time, in terms of my diet, and in no time with some exercises people will be seeing that stamina that I am known for back.”