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Godwin Muzari Entertainment Editor
The death of Daiton Somanje on Tuesday evening was a blow to the local music industry and arts sector at large.
Daiton succumbed to meningitis at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he had been admitted for the ailment last month.Rumour mongers killed Daiton before his death. Since last week, the social media was awash with messages claiming the musician’s death as heartless alarmists continuously released false information.

Condolence messages started streaming from fans and fellow artistes days before Daiton passed away. He was there in the hospital, struggling and fighting the ailment with hope that God would give him more days to be with his family and friends.

Everyone hopes for the good when things are hard and tight. Daiton obviously wanted to live another day and belt out “Tsaona” to his fans in a jovial mood. We all have hope for recovery when we fall ill, yet some people find it so simple to joke about death.

They always do it. They have done it to many celebrities and local musicians like Oliver Mtukudzi, Jah Prayzah and Leonard Zhakata have been victims of the heartless prank. It is an abomination to cook messages about someone’s death. And I wonder if the alarmists rejoice when their victim finally pass away.

Daiton has finally left us. Maybe they are now rejoicing. But Daiton doesn’t only leave us with memories of his hard times and sickness or death rumours.

He leaves a rich history of creativity. He has done his part. He has been in the race and he will forever be remembered for his contribution to the local music industry.

The distinct Pengaudzoke beat that he created will be known for generations to come. Musicians’ works always live many years after their creators.

We will play “Tsaona”, “Zvibate Pamhaka”, “Mai Linda”, “Seiko Kuonda” and “Usagumbuke” many years to come. We will remember Daiton in the same way we still celebrate Leonard Dembo, James Chimombe, Biggie Tembo, Tongai Moyo, Chiwoniso Maraire, Admire Kasenga, Cephas Mashakada and many other musicians that went before Daiton.

Their works will be outstanding forever.

I first met Daiton in 2003 at Club Hideout in Lochinvar. I had been assigned to cover his show on a Friday evening and I went from work straight to the venue. Because I was using public transport, I had to go early since I was dropping off at the junction of Gleneagles Road and the road that leads to the club (I have never known its name).

The long stretch from Gleneagles Road to Club Hideout was not safe for pedestrians after sunset so I had to pass it before darkness.
I arrived at the venue when Daiton’s engineers were setting up the equipment for the show. I saw them connecting their bass bins, tweeters, monitors, microphones and drums.

Daiton arrived around 8pm with the rest of the band members in a white pickup truck. The guitarists swiftly went to the stage with their guitars to begin sound check and Daiton went backstage.

I joined him and introduced myself and we began chatting.

Daiton was not a person who needed to trust anyone to pour his heart out. He would openly speak about his issues, especially problems, as soon as he felt comfortable in someone’s company, even a stranger.

We talked about his music and their split with his brother Josphat. It was about a year after the split. Daiton, as usual, blamed Josphat for their separation and he bragged that he was still leading Pengaudzoke and would do well without Josphat.

However, that was not to be. It seemed the two were meant for each other in their work. Actually, Josphat went on to do better after their split with his album “This Time”. Daiton’s solo career was not that colourful and the brothers sometimes decided to reunite. In 2007 they came together for a reunion that caused problems in the band.

I attended their show at Colour Purple and the situation was hopeless. Each was unwilling to drop their band members from respective groups and there were 27 members in the reunited Pengaudzoke.

However, in an interview at Colour Purple, they both gave assurance that they would manage the situation but they failed to make it. After a few months nine band members left the brothers and formed Vadhauki Express under the leadership of Edmore Makoni. Vadhauki Express just did a few shows and folded.

On the other hand, Josphat and Daiton’s reunion did not last long. They had a misunderstanding and went separate ways, again.

I attended Daiton’s shows in the capital and whenever we were backstage, he would pour his heart about his problems in the industry. He was bitter about piracy like any other musician and he was not happy about the way he was losing popularity.

He said he was working hard to keep his career afloat but he believed some people were out to pull him down. He did not mention names but, due to his superstitious beliefs, he seemed to suggest that someone was bewitching him.

Daiton’s star gradually sank and he became a supporting act for other musicians. Whenever he went on stage, he would entertain people with his dances, with the prominent one involving shaking his head, hands spread wide while moving from side to side in unique style.
He had the talent but the capacity to pull crowds kept evading him.

In 2011, Last Power Media, Daiton’s record company brought the musician and Josphat together for a joint album but the project could not completely seal a reunion.

I met them at Last Power Media in Msasa as they were doing the project. Their artiste and repertoire manager Tich Makahamadze was optimistic that the project would bring the musicians together for good but the way Daiton and Josphat related suggested otherwise.

They could not come together for good. In 2012, the joint Pengaudzoke resurfaced at Heroesplush in Gutu. I was at the gala at Mupandawana when they performed as a joint force. Many people were surprised by the move. I talked to both musicians backstage and Daiton said they were meant to work as a combination.

Daiton said: “We are brothers, but I feel there is something beyond our relationship that rejoins us when we want to go separate ways.

“We sometimes discuss family issues, but we never talk about music. We are both happy with working separately and we never plan to perform or record together. Such arrangements just come unexpectedly and I believe it is because of the power show organisers see in our joint performances and that should be because of an invisible bond that has something to do with the way we worked before we went separate ways.”

Josphat said they had reunited several times before and things would never work out. He said the reunion was just for that event.

Josphat is always diplomatic with his responses but Daiton did not always mind his speech. He just poured out whatever came to his mind. Whenever I interviewed them together, Josphat would try to correct Daiton’s statements to create a better image about their relationship.

After the Gutu gala, the musicians continued with their separate performances and I attended their respective shows on various occasions.

I last met Daiton early this year at a city bar where he was looking for a show. He did not look well. He was frail and he conceded that life was tough.

Daiton felt insecure about his life and career. He believed that someone had bewitched him and they had numerous counter-accusations with Josphat over their misfortunes.

Daiton went to the extent of blaming his son Faheem of being in love with his stepmother. Daiton left his wife Annah in Marondera after the accusations and moved to Harare. He disowned his son over the issue.

When I met him at the city bar, Daiton was staying with his new wife in Dzivaresekwa but showbiz was turning its back on the musician. Shows were not coming his way and most of the times he tried to hold a show without a promoter he would flop.

“Mukoma things are not well (he sometimes referred to me as mukoma  — elder brother — although he was 15 years older). I am not feeling well and shows are hard to come by. I wish God would remember me because I have a family to look after. Things are hard and I don’t know if we will be able to make money through music as we did before. I leave everything to God,” he lamented.

That was the last time I saw Daiton. I heard he was hospitalised but I did not have a chance to visit him in hospital until he died on Tuesday.  Although his career had taken a sharp decline, Daiton will always be remembered for his numerous hits that made Pengaudzoke a household name. May his soul rest in peace.