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Tadious Manyepo-Arts Reporter
ALICK Macheso’s new album ‘Kupa Kuturika’ has sharply divided opinion.
Some of his fans still want to hear the Orchestra Mberikwazvo leader sounding the same way he did on his debut project “Magariro” released in 1998.
Others are siding with him saying he is right to move with the changing seasons.
There is no doubting his status as the greatest sungura musician Zimbabwe has ever had, at least, since the death of Leonard Dembo in 1996.
Macheso’s guitar strumming skills are second to none and amidst an army of critics of the new album, the project, whose two of the six songs haven’t yet been released, is doing reasonably well.
‘Kuverengera’ is pregnant with rich social commentary.
‘Zvichada Hama’ which seems to be the top song given the instrumentation from where listeners are deriving a lot of joy.
And, one humble boy, who has suffered all the difficulties life can throw at a person, provided the biggest influence on the beat of the song.
His name is Mike “Maikoro” Adilino.
His part is so good it has been extracted and gone viral on various social media platforms.
Yet the guitarist has remained humble and is still your usual soft-spoken, dark-brown complexioned man from the house next door.
“I can’t thank God enough. I can’t also thank my boss Alick Macheso and all the band members at Orchestra Mberikwazvo enough,” he said.
“The way things have been unfolding has been surreal.
“I have come a long way but all credit goes to my boss Macheso and all the other band members.
“These are the people who make things happen. I was taught how to play a guitar professionally by Macheso, and the other band members for eight good months, before we released the album ‘Tsoka Dzerwendo’ in 2016.”
He added:
“To be doing whatever wonders I am performing now is something I never imagined. But my boss Macheso and all the other members have been patient with me.
“I am really happy”.
Maikoro’s journey to musical stardom reads like a script from a thrilling movie.
Orphaned at a tender age, Maikoro’s life fell apart.
He started to do piece jobs and eventually secured employment as a herd boy in Rafingora.
It was during that period that he started developing an interest in music as, ironically, he would always get inspiration from Alick Macheso.
“During that period, Macheso had released (his fifth album) ‘Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya’.
“I bought a small cassette radio from my earnings as a herdboy. I would always play a song called ‘Madhawu’ and everything changed.
“I made my own guitar from a tree branch and clipped a single string. That’s how it all started.
“As my interest grew, I would also travel for about 10km from where I was working, as soon as I penned the cattle, to play a proper guitar belonging to someone.
“I was improving and getting even more interest in the game”.
Maikoro said he would always attend Macheso’s shows whenever the talented singer pitched up in Mashonaland West, especially Chinhoyi and Mhangura.
“I would always look at how he was playing his guitar. I never danced or moved during the show.
“I was always at the front row and even Boss Macheso himself got to notice me during his many visits and sometimes he would point at me.”
Then one thing led to the other until one of Maikoro’s uncles decided to take him to Chitungwiza, where he got contracted as a trainee painter.
But he never stopped playing guitars.
Somehow, as if on cue, his painting work took him straight to Macheso’s house in Waterfalls.
The superstar singer remembered him and the rest is history.
Online Reporter