John Mokwetsi
17 February 2008
ALICK Macheso and Tongai Moyo last week sought to put to rest their well-publicised feud.
At the start of the seventh edition of the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) ceremony held at the 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale last Wednesday, the two stars, who had been reported to be sworn enemies, shook hands in a public show of unity.
Macheso said: "We are brothers. We love music and that is all there is to it. To show that we are not sworn enemies, I will be holding fundraising shows for Tongai's medical upkeep. We respect each other."
Moyo admitted last month to suffering from a type of cancer known as Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL).
Lymphoma, like other cancers, is a disease of the body's cells.
The two sungura giants sat side by side and even shared the stage at the cocktail function. Moyo, who looked frail, put up a good performance, so did Macheso.
Unlike the Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) last year in which the winners complained of sharing one shield, NAMA had no such problems and artists were impressed by the swiftness with which they received their prizes.
Sulumani Chimbetu had good reason to smile when his debut album Ndomusiya Nani? was voted the most Outstanding Album. He beat Macheso, Tawanda Mutyebere and favourites Extra Large to the crown.
In the gospel category, underdogs St Francis Anglican Waterfalls beat Vabati Vevhangeri, Kutenda Kwevapositori and the highly respected Chitungwiza Harmony Singers.
Moyo, who last year walked empty-handed from the ZIMA awards, had good reason to smile when his plug track Wakanaka was voted the most Outstanding Song, beating rival-now-turned friend Macheso.
But Macheso bounced back with two accolades -- Outstanding Musician/Group and People's Choice Award.
In the film and television category actor Prince Zulu from the evergreen Amakorokoza was voted Outstanding Actor. Izolo Yizolo, a television drama written by Thoko Zulu was voted the Outstanding Screen Production at the occasion where Bulawayo artists were outstanding.
Studio 263 was nowhere to be seen as another soap, Estate Blues, landed a trophy for its cabin for Outstanding Actress in Evangelista Mwatse.
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