Harare — TOMORROW will be a historic day in the rivalry between Alick Macheso and Tongai Moyo, as they perform just over a kilometre apart in what will be a popularity battle.

Tongai Moyo, bravely fighting the effects of a relapse in Non-Hodgkin cancer, will be the main act at a Harare Gardens show, which starts at 2pm and featuring Suluman Chimbetu and Progress Chipfumo as supporting acts.

Across the city centre at Keebab Centre (opposite Remand Prison), Alick Macheso will be the main act, with Alexio Kawara as the supporting act.

The two shows will certainly divide music lovers and, perhaps in the process, give a loud indication, literally, of who is the most popular or more precisely, who has a bigger following  between Chitungwiza-based Alick Macheso and Kwekwe-based Tongai Moyo.

Last week on Friday, the two giants left the Harare city centre for DRC rhumba giant Werrason, whose stage performance at HICC showed that local artistes still have a long way to go. Tongai Moyo was in South Africa for a number of shows, while Macheso was at Wedza Spaceman in Glen Norah.

Before leaving for South Africa, Tongai was in Harare, shooting videos for his latest album, Muridzi Wenyaya. He believes he has overcome the effects of chemotherapy and will be able to go through all his scheduled shows.

"I think I have recovered much faster than the last time (2007/8) and my shows in Kwekwe and surrounding areas two weeks ago went on without any problems. "We shot videos for Muridzi Wenyaya at Gramma and then performed in South Africa. So I promise nothing short of fireworks for the fans at the Harare Gardens show," he said.

Macheso could not be reached for comment as his phones were not available but Chris Musabayana of Ghetto Fabulous, who is organising the Keebab Centre show, was upbeat. "It is very rare, or to say simply that it is the first time these two sungura icons have performed so near to each other.

"We have had situations where they have played the same night in different suburbs, but not in the heart of the city where revellers move from one point to another to have a feel of the entertainment that night or day," Musabayana said.