Biography

band members have included...
Jonah Moyo (vocals, lead guitar. B: 1956)
Johnsayi Machinya (vocals)
Chengetai Kandimi (vocals)
Innocent Biti (rhythm guitar)
Robson Banda (bass)
Patrick Kabanda (drums)
Christopher Ncube (brass)
Kudzi Mashereni (brass)
Mashi Mashereni (vocals)

Jonah Moyo and Devera Ngwena are undoubtedly Zimbabwe's leading rhumba act. As pionneers of mbira-influenced rhumba, known as rhumbira, Moyo and his band fused Congolese sounds with traditional rhythms. Jonah started off learning to play the banjo in order to meet girls, but he soon found that his talent amounted to much more than that! Leaving school to work in the city, Moyo became known in KweKwe as an excellent guitarist. In 1978 Jonah joined the Gaths Mine Welfare Band with former Jairos Jiri guitarist Innocent Biti, Robson Banda (for two years, at least), and Biggie Phiri. They recorded privately with Gramma Records and became Devera Ngwena.

The group, whose name translates to "follow the crocodile", was prolific during the 1980's, recording almost two albums per year. They regularly sold more than 50 000 copies, with Ruva Remoyo Wangu topping with sales of 120 000. Unfortunately, the original Devera Ngwena split in 1985. Jonah Moyo went on to form a new version of Devera Ngwena (featuring his brother), leading to the hits Taxi Driver and Ndatambura Newe and their international release Follow The Crocodile. In 1987 they toured England, Scotland, and Holland to great success - playing the Glastonbury Festival and performing before an audience of 10 000 in Holland, in a concert in which they were the only act! The original Devera Ngwena reunited in 2000 in an attempt to recreate their old sound. Jonah released his latest album, Mudhara Jonso, in Sept 2003.

Despite their status as Zimbabwe's rhumba kings, Devera Ngwena albums are rarely seen outside of Zimbabwe. The little material available is usually expensive and in LP format. Despite the fact that Moyo has sold hundreds of thousands of records in South Africa, he has received little of the money he is due. Still, Jonah Moyo and Devera Ngwena were one of the first Zimbabwean acts to tour internationally, and have maintained their popularity at home for more than two decades. Moyo labels his music as "tsavatsava."

Ecoweb Bio - Afropop Bio

Sources: Zindi, Roots Rocking in Zimbabwe, Zindi, MusicYeZimbabwe, Ecoweb Portal, various newspaper articles (Daily News, Standard, Herald) and visitor submissions.

Discography

(Since Jonah Moyo and Devera Ngwena annoyingly named albums using numbers the major hit of each album is listed beside it.)

Devera Ngwena 1 - Devera Ngwena Zhimozhi	Gramma	1980
Devera Ngwena 2 - Ruva Remoyo Wangu	Gramma	1981
Devera Ngwena 3 - Solo naMutsai	Gramma	1982
Devera Ngwena 4 - Second Hand	Gramma	1982
Devera Ngwena 5 - Too Cheap	Gramma	1983
Devera Ngwena 6 - Nhasi Zvakuwana	Gramma	1983/84
Devera Ngwena 7 - Zuva Radoka	Gramma	1984
Devera Ngwena 8 - Svika Feyafeya	Gramma	1985
Devera Ngwena 9 - Taxi Driver/Ndatambura Newe	Gramma	1985
Greatest Hits: Volume One
Devera Ngwena 10 - Masvingo Necarpet	Gramma	1986
Devera Ngwena 11 - Wapusa Wapusa	Gramma	1987
Taxi Driver (UK re-release)	K-KO	1988
Devera Ngwena 12 - Mutadzi No. 1	Gramma	1988
Devera Ngwena 13 - Ndabve Zera	Gramma	1988
Devera Ngwena 14 - Oversize	Gramma	1989
Devera Ngwena 15 - Follow the Crocodile	Gramma	1990
Devera Ngwena 16 - Usamubate	BMG	1993
Devera Ngwena 17 - Chimonamona	BMG	1994
Devera Ngwena 18 - Chipinge	RTP	1995
Devera Ngwena 19 - Usatambe neUpenyu	Gramma	1996
Devera Ngwena 20 - Ndafunga Makare	Gramma	1997
Devera Ngwena 21 - Chihwerure	Gramma	1998
Devera Ngwena 22 - Matsikwa Neshasha	Gramma	1999
Devera Ngwena 23 - Who Else But Jesus?	Gramma	1999
Devera Ngwena 24 - Ko Ndini Ndadii	Gramma	2000
Hits: 1980-1990	Gramma	2000
Devera Ngwena 25 - Ndiwe	Gramma	2001
Greatest Hits: Volume Two	Gramma
The Originial Tsava Tsava Golden Remixes	Gramma	2002
Devera Ngwena 26 - Murikurasika Papi	Gramma
Devera Ngwena 29 - Mudhara Jonso	Gramma	2002
Devera Ngwena 30	Gramma	2004

Compilation Appearances

Devera Ngwena 1

Released: 1980
Label: Gramma
Format: LP
Running Time:
Stocked by:

Devera Ngwena's first release. And to think I missed a chance to buy this... If you have it and are interested in selling, let me know.

Greatest Hits: Volume One

Released: 1985
Label: ALT
Format: LP
Running Time: 8 tracks.
Stocked by:

Taxi Driver

Released: 1986
Label: K-KO
Format: LP
Running Time: 46 minutes, 10 tracks.
Stocked by: Parallel Schallplaten (Koln)

Taxi Driver was re-released in the UK in 1986, marking Devera Ngwena's first European release. Sometime after they embarked on their first European tour of the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. Too Cheap and Taxi Driver are my favourites, while Madiro has a rare acoustic guitar part. For guitarists, check out the tab of Taxi Driver (rhythm available, lead coming soon.)

Devera Ngwena 15 - Follow the Crocodile

Released: 1988 or 1990
Label: ?
Format: Cassette
Running Time: 40 minutes, 6 tracks
Stocked by:

A late 1980s release, Follow the Crocodile was most likely recorded and released independently to coincide with Devera Ngwena's breakthrough European tour. Follow the Crocodile features horns (which, in my opinion, just don't fit), female background singers, and, of course, Jonah Moyo's trademark catchiness and musical good humour.

Hits 1980-1990

Released: 2000
Label: Gramma - ZCD191
Format: LP, Cassette, CD
Running Time: 69 minutes, 11 tracks.
Stocked by: Zimsounds

One of two Greatest Hits compilations, this CD covers Devera Ngwena's first and most successful decade. Only available on the net through Zimsounds, it is an excellent CD with songs spanning from 1981 (Barbra Mwana Wakanaka) to 1990 (Ndabvezera, Ndashaya Anondida.) Includes one new bonus track, Dhiya Waenda, recorded in 1999 and Moyo's huge 1982 hit Solo Na Mutsai. The recording quality, however, hampers the listening experience to such a degree that certain parts of the CD (after listening to five fuzzy tracks in a row) become grating and nearly unbearable.

Devera Ngwena 25

Released: 2001
Label: Gramma - CDGramma130
Format: CD
Running Time:
Stocked by: Stern's, Zimsounds

Devera Ngwena's 2001 reunion release.

The Original Tsava Tsava Golden Remixes

Released: 2002
Label: Gramma - CDGramma197
Format: CD
Running Time: 55 minutes, 11 tracks.
Stocked by: Zimsounds

The latest release from Jonah Moyo is another retrospective on Devera Ngwena's lengthy career. Compiled by Moyo himself, the album includes some supposedly rare tracks, along with one new song, Fullstop.

Devera Ngwena 26 - Murikurasika Papi

Released: 200?
Label: Gramma
Format: CD
Running Time: 9 tracks.
Stocked by: Zimsounds

Devera Ngwena 26 is much like Devera Ngwena 29 - somewhat laid back, substandard, lacking the drive of Moyo's earlier releases. Of course, when you're being compared to such a high standard it's hard to live up to it over a 20 year span, but still...from the clips at least, it's a bit disappointing.

Devera Ngwena 29 - Mudhara Jonso

Released: 2002
Label: Gramma
Format: CD
Running Time: 7 tracks.
Stocked by: Zimsounds

Moyo's 2002 album consists of seven tracks in an attampt to continue his legacy of more than 30 albums and 40 gold discs. Mudhara Jonso's top track, DeMbare, is a soccer-themed song, reliving the careers of greats Dynamos FC players such as Moses Chunga and Sunday Marimo. From the clips it doesn't live up to his past work, although it seems to be an improvement upon Devera Ngwena 26.

Devera Ngwena 30

Released: 2004
Label: Gramma
Format:
Running Time: 7 tracks.
Stocked by:

Although I'm not sure how Jonah Moyo went from album 26 to album 29 without any releases in between, Deverangwena 30 is another comeback of sorts for the rhumba king. Featuring songs sung in Shona, Venga, Zulu, and English, album number 30 is an attempt to win back fans lost during Devera Ngwena's relative drop in popularity over the latter half of the 90s. Moyo spent three months preparing the album in Pretoria.