By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Peter Moyo, the heir to the Utakataka Express, has told of how his father Tongai Moyo would use his personal savings to pay for his band members.
In an interview with Power FM’s Chamvary on the show — Centre Stage — Peter said before his father died he was broke as a church mouse.
“He was too much of a nice guy. He (Tongai) always wanted to please people even when his show flopped at times he would go into his own savings account and use the money to pay his band members.
“I cannot do that because I always tell my guys that we eat what we kill. So if we get less returns we share it equally amongst ourselves because I cannot withdraw from my personal savings, NO!” he said.
He explained further when asked to comment on his father’s generosity: “You see, I take music as a business but to him it was more of a passion. The people that he used to play the likes of Chipaz and Mupfumi left him when he needed them the most. The reason is at times when a promoter claimed the show flopped he would take it easy. And the next thing he would look for money elsewhere to pay his band members. At the time of his death he couldn’t even pay for his medicals. He needed US$8000 but he failed to raise that money. He could have easily raised it because he used to charge about US$2000 per show but he failed.”
According to Peter, his worst nightmare ever since he lurched onto music has been being compare to his father.
“When I do anything there are some people who come and say no your father wasn’t like that. Others actually tell me that I cannot sing or want me to sing like my father. This is why I have told some people that my father’s friends are not my friends,” he said.
Tongai Moyo died in 2011 due to cancer. According to Peter he only got into music because his father had wanted him to pursue a career music and perhaps keep his legacy alive.
At 24 and being the first born in the family, Peter found the going tough as he was accused of forgetting lyrics and also sounding like a broken record.
But that has since changed over the years as he not only got confident but also enjoying himself.
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