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King Tazvida (left) and his group on stage

Arts Correspondent
WHEN he held the “System Tazvida Commemoration Gig” at the Book Cafe in Harare last year, System’s young brother, King Tazvida, wanted to prove to the world that he has what it takes to carry the music torch that his late brother lit in the 1990s.

And in typical fashion of a star in the making, King managed to attract the who is who in both the showbiz and other fraternities who included musicians Alick Macheso, Madzibaba Nicholas Zakaria, Suluman Chimbetu and Kireni Zulu, among others.

At the weekend, while the superstar Oliver Mtukudzi was celebrating his milestone “Tuku Music at 40 Gig” at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton, King Tazvida was doing a similar thing for music lovers based in Chitungwiza who could not make it to Pakare Paye and be with Samanyanga.

King – whose DJ started off by playing some of Tuku’s greatest hits while the Chazezesa Challengers or Boys DzeSmoko as they are also called prepared to go on stage- decided to hold a similar event to their Chitungwiza fans when he dedicated the show to the original group which the late System founded in 1993 in the town.

The venue was befitting – Chido Chevanhu Beerhall (or Zvido Beerhall) – where some of the icons ever to come of the town like the late John Chibadura, Leonard Dembo, Ephraim Joe, Mukoma Ketai Muchawaya, Marko Sibanda, Mr Bulk, only to name a few, used to entertain hordes of fans. C

Currently under new management, the bar, together with King’s performance, rekindled memories when council bars were the one-stop places for acts by the likes of Safirio “Mukadota” Madzikatire who also played at this venue.

But with the new look that the bar boasts, as well as its alluring power to bring in the younger stock in the mould of King, it is clear that more is in store for music lovers in Chitungwiza.

“We just decided to honour the original Chazezesa Challengers band taking the cue from Mudhara with what he was doing at Pakare Paye Arts Centre,” King said.