Zimbabwean musician First Farai says the late sungura star Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo still visits him in dreams, offering advice that continues to guide his work. The revelation comes as fans and fellow musicians mark 15 years since Moyo’s death, with his songs and influence still present in the country’s music scene.
Moyo, founder of Utakataka Express, died on October 15, 2011, after a prolonged battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He left behind a large body of work and a band that has continued under the leadership of his son Peter Moyo. For First Farai, however, the legacy is also personal: he remembers Moyo as a mentor, a brother and a patient supporter who encouraged him when he was still finding his place in music.
“Dhewa still appears in my dreams, giving me directions and advice as a musician because he was my mentor,” First Farai said.
The Hurudza Express band leader said he had entered the music fraternity at a time when Moyo was already established, but the older musician did not keep his distance from younger performers. Instead, Farai said, Moyo welcomed him and made himself available whenever he needed guidance.
“When we entered the music fraternity, Dhewa was already miles ahead of us. He was a loving brother who embraced those of us who were still learning the ropes. I learnt most of my musical styles from him because I knew I was in safe hands. I could call or visit him at any time because of the bond we had developed as musicians. Dhewa saw a lot of potential in me. He was a loving brother who believed in perfection, both in the studio and on stage.”
That relationship helped shape Farai’s musical direction. He had experimented with other genres, but says Moyo’s example gave him confidence to commit to sungura. The mentorship was not limited to songs or performance technique. Farai also watched how Moyo ran a band, maintained standards and carried himself before audiences.
“When it came to choreography, Dhewa treated the stage like a CEO’s office, where serious business was conducted at all times. I was blessed to learn from the best, and I will forever cherish that experience. In fact, it was Dhewa who gave me the confidence to pursue sungura music, although I once experimented with other genres.”
Farai’s own career began in Bulawayo. In 2000, he took part in the Music Cross Roads national finals at Amakhosi Theatre and won the first prize, earning the chance to represent Zimbabwe at the regional competition. He formed Hurudza and made music his full-time career. The following year, his group travelled to Tanzania for the regional finals, where it won recognition as a leading group from Zimbabwe. Farai released his first album, Zviponetariro, in 2002.
His rise came as audiences compared his performance style with Moyo’s. The resemblance became part of the public conversation around the younger singer, but Farai has maintained that his own presentation is distinct. What he has never disputed is Moyo’s importance to his development: the late musician was among the artists whose work encouraged him to keep going, and his death was a personal as well as an industry loss.
Farai has since spoken of Moyo not only as an artist but as a leader whose influence reached beyond the stage. He said the Utakataka Express frontman led a large group of musicians and remained involved in his home community in Sesombe, visiting whenever he was not performing.
“Dhewa used to lead many people at Utakataka Express and he was also a community leader in his home area of Sesombe, which he regularly visited whenever he was not performing at shows.
“This made him one of the most adored stars, and his death shook the music fraternity and his legion of fans. I might not be perfect but wherever I am, I make sure that I transform lives and contribute towards making the world a better place. I always engage other musicians so that we can share ideas and find ways of moving forward.”
Farai said Moyo’s example continues to inform the way he approaches his own responsibilities in music. He now sits on the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association board and said he tries to bring musicians together to exchange ideas and find ways to advance their work. The emphasis on collaboration reflects the kind of support he says he received from Moyo at the beginning of his career.
The bond has also extended to Moyo’s family. Farai said he wants to help keep the family united and takes comfort in seeing the late musician’s children maintain close ties. In recent years, Peter Moyo has continued to lead Utakataka Express, while his brothers have appeared alongside him at performances and album events. The family’s public appearances have offered a glimpse of the work involved in keeping both a household and a musical institution connected after the founder’s death.
“Tongai Moyo was a man of peace who served the industry diligently. I will always do my best to ensure that his family remains united, even though he is no longer with us. I am relieved when I see his children united, as they are doing now, because Dhewa always put his children first, like any responsible father. When it came to music, he always delivered to perfection, and this made him a darling of many.”
Peter inherited the responsibility of leading the band after his father died. He had been pursuing football in Kwekwe, but took up music and the family’s musical legacy. Utakataka Express has since continued to perform and release work, while the family has organised commemorations in Moyo’s honour. In 2025, the band’s management described plans for a show in Kwekwe, Moyo’s home area, and sought partners to help stage the event. The commemorations have kept the late singer’s connection with his hometown and fans active well beyond the anniversary itself.
Moyo’s influence is also carried through the songs that continue to circulate among listeners. His catalogue includes Vimbo (1996), Vise, Naku (1999), Moyo Wekurera (1999), Chirangano (2001), Samanyemba (2002), Dhewa Hits (2002), Dhewa’s Love Songs (2002), Chingwa (2003), Pakanaka Dhewa (2004), Naye (2005), Mudzimu Weshiri (2005), Mano (2006), Pinda Panyanga (2007), Muridzi Wenyaya (2008), Dhewa’s Love Songs 1997–2008 (2009) and Toita Basa (2010).
The albums chart a career that continued until the year before his death. They also remain a practical link between generations: a body of music younger performers can study, audiences can revisit and musicians such as Farai can draw on as they develop their own sound.
For Farai, the measure of Moyo’s influence lies in that continuing guidance, whether recalled through music, shared experience or the dreams he describes. He remembers the singer’s exacting approach in the studio and on stage, but also the brotherly welcome that made a younger musician feel he could ask for help.
Fifteen years after Moyo’s death, Farai says that connection has not ended. He continues to carry lessons from the mentor who helped him choose his musical path, and says he will keep honouring the man who believed in his potential.