The Sunday Mail
Jonah Moyo, founding member of Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, was in Zimbabwe last weekend for the unveiling of his wife’s tombstone.
His wife, Philda, the inspiration behind the hit song “Wangu P”, succumbed to cancer in 2008. The Sunday Mail caught up with him at his Rhodene home in Masvingo on Sunday morning, after the unveiling ceremony, where he talked about the glory days of the “jazz band”, why he left the country, the prospects of a reunion, and that coincidental meeting with Tony Rivett in 1979 that was to define Devera Ngwena’s musical path.
He made it clear that he had no apologies for using the name Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, as it was him — and no one else — who came up with the name. “Not even Innocent Bitu can lay claim to the name,” he boldly declared, “and not even the now defunct mine where we launched our musical career can equally do the same”.
He went on: “It was a chance meeting I had with AK Mapfumo at Teal Recording Company as I had accompanied my brother, Joshua Hlomayi, there. When I saw some guys recording, I swore that we were better than them. When AK asked me what our band’s name was, I quickly thought of what the goalkeeper for the mine football team would constantly say of our band, thus I answered Devera Ngwena. I added the ‘Jazz Band’ as I remembered that my brother used to play for a jazz band in Norton.”
In 1977, Gaths Mine in Mashava had advertised for musicians to form a welfare band to cater for employees’ entertainment after noticing that cinema (bioscope back then) was insufficient for their leisure needs.
So until 1979, the band would only perform for mineworkers and made no recordings.
The chance visit to Teal Records was to afford Jonah Moyo and his then nameless band their first shot at fame — and a bit of fortune.
“But I lied to Mapfumo that we had 10 songs ready for recording. This was to give the impression that we were a serious unit. In essence we didn’t even have a single song as we used to do a lot of covers.”
With a booked recording date in the pocket, Jonah rushed back to Mashava to pen songs, which they quickly rehearsed.
The first of those songs was, perhaps quite naturally, “Devera Ngwena Zhimozhi”; followed by “Wenyu Wandiramba” and “Ndashaya Zvekuita” (which attracted the attentions of the colonial regime).
“When we went back to Harare for the recording, AK Mapfumo, who had booked us, was not there. He had gone to Bulawayo and would only be back after a week or so. We were stranded and the band members started accusing me of bringing them all the way to Harare when I had not done my homework. Whilst we were seated, pondering our next move, I was called back to the reception and introduced to Tony Rivett, who told me that Mapfumo had briefed him about us, and if we could get ready for the studio.
“Elated as we were that at last we could record, our joy was to be short-lived as we had not brought along a drummer, so I had to rush to Chitungwiza to get Patrick Kabanda, whom I knew . . . Probably if Mapfumo had recorded us, we could not have been as great as we turned out to be, I don’t know, but the truth is Tony had an ear for music.
“The moment he heard ‘Devera Ngwena Zhimozhi’, he said the song was going to be a hit. Interestingly, when we were recording, Thomas Mapfumo passed through and when he was asked what he thought of our music, he said it was rubbish.
“We went back to Mashava, down, that if a respected musician like Mapfumo could see our music as trash, then this was not for us.”
But two weeks later, the song “Devera Ngwena Zhimozhi” was to hit the airwaves and climbed to top of the charts.
Thus began the journey of Devera Ngwena Jazz Band.
“Very few people might know that Robson Banda was a founding member of our group. As we were musicians part-time and mine employees full-time, Robson could not handle some of the demanding assignments we were handed at the mine
And his immediate replacement was not Jabulani Bitu but Hilliot Vhuyazhi, who was so shocked by our first payment from our recording royalties that we don’t even know what became of him. Up to now I don’t even know if he is alive or not!”
The good times were to roll on for the band, up to “Volume 8” when the boat started rocking.
“The first issue to affect us was the accident we had going to a live performance; the mine refused to compensate us, arguing that we did music in our spare time yet they were getting money from the same performances.
“When I explained to the other band members that the mine was exploiting us, some saw me as trying to badly influence the band. From that accident, relations within the band and with management were strained.
“Then I had bought my house here in Rhodene, this house. Part of the reason why I bought the house was because the mine had given us houses which I felt did not suit our stature, given the income that we were bringing to the mine.
“One of the incidents that further strained our relations, within the band, is when I bought this Masvingo house I was commuting every day from Masvingo to Mashava. When our kit went for repairs I had left my guitar in Masvingo and that same day the band said the kit was back from repairs and we should go for our scheduled show. I explained to them that I had left my guitar in Masvingo and if we could perform the following day.
“Besides having agreed to performing the following day, the band went ahead for the show and did not perform, saying Jonah had not turned up. And not only that, the following day they went on to claim overtime from the mine, when we had not performed. They argued that they had pitched up for the show and only Jonah Moyo had not. It became a disciplinary issue and when I was asked to sign papers cautioning me, I refused.”
The camel’s back was broken only a few months later, when Jonah Moyo who was on leave in Harare, went on to not only perform but also record without the other band members.
In defence, Jonah said he had asked the band to join him in Harare but they spurned his requests. Subsequently he roped in the likes of his blood brother Joshua Hlomayi, Patrick Kabanda and off they went as Devera Ngwena.
“When mine management tried to seek legal recourse, challenging that I could not use the name Devera Ngwena, they were told by our recording company that all they knew was Jonah Moyo and they did not know anyone from the mine. That is how I won the name issue and why up to now I still use that name. It is mine.”
Then came Zimbabwe’s economic challenges that led to his relocation.
“We started it as an experiment, holding shows in areas around Pretoria so that we could survive. Then someone whispered that Limpopo was where our support was concentrated. We tried it there and it is the reason why up to now we are still there.
“The real reason why I had to go out of the country was that I wanted to be able to send my children to school and now that all my children are done with their university, I can now think of coming back home.
“Every time I come home, it is so relaxing, so comfortable that I wish I could not go back. So now I am working on the possibility of coming home for good and soon I should be coming.
“When we started staying in South Africa we were using the visa system and we would come back and have our passports stamped for six months, and only applied for a work permit later. Now I am four years into my permit and as I need only a year to come back as a returning resident, I am thinking of just waiting for that extra year. That way I will be able to bring in my musical instruments and belongings duty-free.
“Besides, I am working on replacing my bakkie which was written off in a recent accident. A bakkie is necessary for live shows.”
On re-uniting with Innocent and Jonisayi?
“I am in constant contact with both guys and I don’t see any reason why we cannot work together. Innocent was the guy I was closest to when we were at Mashava and I am always talking to him.
“Recently he sent me his song that he wanted help with and we might be recording it soon. We even did ‘Volume 31’ together, so the chances of us working together again are there.”
As a parting shot, he gave us “Volume 38 (Welcome Home)” which he released recently.
“This is the album that I think will mark my return to Zimbabwean ears. Go listen for yourself and make your own judgment, but I was really ‘angry’ when I made this album.”
A seven-track effort, “Welcome Home” is a journey down memory lane for those who recall the glory days of Devera Ngwena.
Ear-catching tracks are “Gladys”, “Mamoyo Special”, “Havanyare” and “Ndakuregerera”. “Ndikundisei” will strike a chord with those who want gospel music on a different tip. “Zwienda”, the last track, is in Venda.
by Garikai Mazara – Leisure Editor
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