Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Petros Kausiyo
16 November 2009
Harare — TOP Sungura musician Tongai Moyo has urged educationists to help parents and children understand that music has become big business worldwide.
He made this remark while at John Mark Hall in Kadoma, after taking some time off his rehearsals to spend the day with schoolchildren from around town.
Fifteen schools took part in the Asanda Mazengwe music and traditional activities' competition in Kadoma, which is bankrolled by South African-based electrical company -- Kwaedza Electrical and Engineering services. The company poured R175 000 for the sponsorship package, which included school equipment, books, satchels, academic sets, medals and trophies. Each term, the company runs a tournament for track and field athletics, football, netball and volleyball and winds off the year with the music and traditional activities' competition. Moyo, who hails from Kwekwe, was the guest of honour at the competition, where several schools took part in the choral, percussion and traditional dance.
The artiste, who revealed that he rarely gets invitations to be a guest at events, noted with concern that some of the aspiring musicians eventually abandoned the trade owing to negative perceptions that associate musicians with social vices.
"Most of the functions that I go to, I notice that normally the guest of honour is a politician or someone in administration so I really feel honoured to have been chosen to be guest of honour at a competition for future musicians. My challenge to the teachers is to preach to the children that music is big business. I am happy that Zimbabwean music is now being appreciated and getting recognition in many parts of the world and they like it because here we use instruments, we do not play computer music. But there is a negative perception that musicians are not educated, hanzi mamusicians marombe, havadi zvechikoro. Let the kids know that if you are learned, you will become a better musician or a better footballer. Vabatsirei vana kutandanisa tsuro mbiri, which is their talent be in arts or sport and their education, vanokwanisa kudzibata dzese dziri mbiri," Moyo said.
The students also felt inspired by Moyo's presence and duly gave the sungura maestro a standing ovation at the end of his speech.
In the choral competition, the first prize was won by Cam and Motor school followed by Tafadzwa and Kuredza. The song titled Mubatanidzwa we Hurumende mu Zimbabwe that was composed by Happison Mangezi of Mutare Polytechnic's music department was the theme song for the choral competitions in primary schools around the country.
Zvakatanga ne MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) Teverere nhaurirano, kusanzwisisana kukuru kwavepo. Tinotenda ve Sadc ne basa guru rekupedza gakava rezve matongerwe enyika mu Zimbabwe. Gorokoto guru VaMugabe, VaTsvangirai nemiwo VaMutambara. VaMbeki, VaMonthlante, VaChamisa, VaChinamasa tinonukutendai pamusoro pehurumende yemubatanidzwa. Tinovimba muchasimudza nyika yedu ye Zimbabwe
VaMugabe, President, VaTsvangirai, Prime Minister tinotenda. Chivandudzaiwo mabasa evadzidzisi, vakoti nevamwewo vashandi vemu Zimbabwe. Zvekupokana kwemapato dzangova ngano. Mwari kudzwai.
In the traditional dance competition, which was won by Chedonje ahead of Mupamombe, Kuredza and Blue Grass, groups had focus on the use of traditional dance and songs as tools for economic and social growth. Cam and Motor scored a double when they also won in the percussion section. Mupamombe came second, while Waverly and Munhumutapa came third and fourth respectively. But at the end of the festivities it was the presence of Dhewa that really made them believe that they can still achieve all they had set out to do.
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