40 000 volunteers to sell Macheso album

Mtandazo Dube and Prince Mushawevato

AT least 40 000 Zimbabwe Red Cross Society volunteers are set to take part in the vending of sungura maestro Alick Macheso’s 10th studio album “Tsoka DzeRwendo”, due for release on March 21.

The album will be officially launched at Harare International Conference Centre on March 24. Organisers of the event said details will be announced in due course.

Macheso is the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society’s ambassador. A percentage of the proceeds will go towards Red Cross’ humanitarian projects.

Speaking at a historic Press conference to announce the release and launch dates for the forthcoming album, Zimbabwe Red Cross Society finance manager, Morris Machawira, who was standing in for the organisation’s secretary general Maxwell Phiri, said all of the society’s branches and personnel nationwide were ready to distribute Macheso’s album.

“We have a solid presence in every province and district in the country, which we will use to distribute the new album. Red Cross has over 40 000 volunteers around the country that are ready to distribute the CD. Also, we will make use of various hospital canteens,” said Muchawira.

Jive Zimbabwe, the organisers of the event, also highlighted that an additional team of mobile teams would be “competing with newspaper and airtime vendors on street corners nationwide” to sell as many copies of Macheso’s imminent new release for a week starting on March 21.

“Teams will be deployed on Monday morning. They will be selling ‘Tsoka DzeRwendo’ alongside their newspaper and airtime colleagues. So basically, there is no challenge in as far as distribution is concerned,” said Jive Zimbabwe director Benjamin Nyandoro.

Macheso, who admitted being overwhelmed by the Press conference, chose to dwell on his humanitarian work and the plague of piracy.

“Red Cross is now my new home. Through humanitarian work, I have managed to go to some places that I personally would not have managed to visit since they are no suitable venues. Part of the proceeds from my album will go to Red Cross hence I urge Zimbabweans to fight piracy because if you buy a pirated copy, you will have denied old people and orphans help,” said the sungura king.

Nash paints, another company that works with Macheso, will also use its branches nationwide as primary distribution points for the CD.

Macheso’s team is targeting sells of not less than 500 000 in one week.