BY WINSTONE ANTONIO OCTOBER will forever be remembered as the sad month in which celebrated sungura icon Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo breathed his last at St Anne’s Hospital in Harare, leaving a huge void in the lives of both his family and his legion of fans. It was on October 15, 2011, nine years ago, when the Utakataka Express frontman succumbed to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells. Ironically, October is the breast cancer awareness month. While it is nearly a decade later, the indelible mark that Dhewa made on the music scene is memorable. And rightly so, music lovers and pundits alike have been discussing the huge void the late “Igwe” left behind. Many opine that with him gone, there is no competition for his archrival Alick Macheso, who can now afford lengthy breaks without releasing any new material. After Moyo’s death in 2011, Macheso released Kwatakabva Mitunhu the following year, then went for four years without any new material, until he gave his fans Tsoka Dzerwendo in 2016. Two years on, he came back with Dzinosvitsa Kure. Even now, two years after his last release, he seems not to be in a hurry since there is no threat on the market. In the few years leading to Dhewa’s death, the competition had kept either of the two artistes on their toes. Every show was memorable because even when they were not playing on open stage, none would afford to slacken. Promoters cashed in on the duo’s “battle”. Although the artistes never publicly admitted to their “fights”, their lyricism oft betrayed the enmity. While Dhewa’s heir, his eldest son Peter, has tried every trick in the book, even mimicking the lead singer, the shoes have proved to be too big for him. The “Young Igwe” has made it a tradition to commemorate his father’s life and legacy through shows themed Dhewa Commemorations. But these have failed to douse the flames that continue to consume the Utakataka Express ship. If self-styled prophets Talent Madungwe and Paul Sanyangore were able to share the Almighty’s phone number, I would have called to report that Dhewa’s legacy was under a serious threat. For now, I will leave it at that and let Peter continue living in the shadows of his late father where he seems determined to eternally remain. In separate interviews with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday, some artistes, promoters and creative sector stakeholders described Dhewa as a legend whose void cannot be easily filled. Veteran music promoter Josh “JazzyJosh” Hozheri said Dhewa valued professionalising the industry and also respected his fans. “Tongai Moyo was a great musician and instrumentalist who had professionalism at heart and his dedication to please his fans remains unmatched. With or without a bumper crowd, he would go all out to deliver for the sake of his fans,” Hozheri said. “I will forever cherish his positive attitude towards promoters as he would always be encouraging you even in bleakest of times. He must be remembered and it is my wish to have a public lecture one day so that up-and-coming artistes would lea