Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Zhakata

Showbiz Correspondent
FANS of Zimbabwe Original Rhythms of Africa (Zora) music will tomorrow evening have the opportunity to watch Zora music  legend  Leonard Zhakata performing live at Cape to Cairo.Zhakata’s manager Saul Mubvumbi said the Bulawayo show would be an opportunity for Zhakata to promote his new album Zvangu Zvaita.

“The new album has some tracks that are doing well on local radio stations and this will be an opportunity for fans to watch Zhakata performing the tracks live.

“He will obviously also perform tracks from his previous albums such as Mugove, Pakuyambuka and Maruva Enyika,” he said.

Mubvumbi said Zhakata was ready to mesmerise fans in Bulawayo – considering that he last performed in the city two years ago.

“It’s been long since we were in Bulawayo and we promised fans a great show as they have been starved for long,” he said.

Cape to Cairo entertainment manager Bheki Ndebele said the show was especially for their mature clientele.

“The show is aimed at the mature crowd, people who love yester-year music and its stars.

“We realised that we were concentrating more on shows for youths bringing in dancehall acts who do not really appeal to mature crowds,” he said.

Zhakata, a qualified fitter and turner, has a career that spans over two decades with 20 albums to his name. After the frustration of being turned down by record companies, he had his lucky break and recorded his first 12-inch titled Moyo Muti in 1989, followed by Yarira Mhere in 1990.

Zhakata’s song writing skills continued to rise with the release of chart busting songs such as Tungidza Gwenya and Shungu dzemwoyo.

He remained on the periphery of the Who is Who on the Zimbabwean music scene until the release of his mega chart-busting album Maruva Enyika with hit song Mugove in 1994.

Backed by a very tight musical outfit, The Zimbabwean All Stars Band and a well-choreographed dance display, this album set Zimbabwe on fire during the festive season of the same year. No party was complete without Mugove being played.