adminva Mitunhu has received a lukewarm reception with some claiming it was the worst in his 11-year music career.
In a snap survey conducted by a Saturday Leisure news crew in the city, fans expressed different views on Kwatabva Mitunhu.
Samuel Matamba said Macheso made a mistake of trying to introduce his traditional fans to a new style of music.
“When Macheso got into the music industry he brought a certain style of music that made him popular.
“So there was no need to confuse fans by introducing them to another style of music like what he did on Kwatabva Mitunhu,” he said.
Matamba said Macheso should stick to the basics, as this might be the downfall of the musical empire that he has built in the past 11 years.
“Macheso should just learn from what happened to the once famous Leonard Zhakata who dominated the music industry in the late 1990s with his song Mugove.
“When Zhakata decided to rebrand his style to Zora music he lost a large portion of his fan base and that was more of a career suicide for him,” he said.
Matamba said going back into the studio was the best move for “Extra Basso” to correct the mistakes he did on his latest project.
“Macheso should go back into the studio with his tail between his legs as he is now under a lot of pressure.
“I have been to a local record bar and I discovered that Kwatabva Mitunhu was now being sold for $3 from $7,”he said.
Another fan, Shadreck Dube, told Saturday Leisure that Macheso had lost lyrical depth in most of his songs.
“The Extra Basso has lost the lyrical depth that he used to have when he released his first four albums as the leader of Ochestra Mberikwazvo.
“The disaster that has occurred on his latest album was long over due as the guy lost the touch by adopting the rhumba style into his music,” he said.
Dube said sungura music fans have proved that they do not take sub standard work even if it has been produced by a seasoned musician.
“I hope musicians out there will take this protest on Macheso’s album as a lesson that we do not listen or buy second-rate music.
“Macheso should take us seriously and we will do the same in return,” he said.
The fan argued that Macheso should change his attitude when working on an album.
“I hope this flop has been an eye-opener to Macheso and the rest of the crew.
“I have followed Macheso’s music from the time he started releasing his first album in 1997 and by then the guy was good,” he said.
Another fan, Andrew Shumba, said Macheso lacked competition from other musicians since the death of Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo.
“Macheso used to compete with Tongai and this forced both of them to produce quality music for their fans.
“Since the death of Dhewa there is no other musician who has proved to be a threat to Macheso so that is the reason he is now producing sub standard music,” he said.
Shumba said it was high time Macheso improved as the senior lecturer, Nicholas Zakaria, was likely to claim the King of Singura title as he was dominating the chats with his album Kurapa Nemanzwi.
Macheso was recently quoted in a local publication admitting that Kwatabva Mitunhu had failed to make an impact on the market.
“People were used to certain traits in my music, but this time I decided to change and bring something different.
“Unfortunately this did not go down well with them,” said Macheso.
The Tafadzwa hit maker said though the album has been received with mixed feelings, he was hoping that people would understand it with time.
“If it performs well, then we are going to take two years without any new offering, but if it fails to impress, we might go back to the studio this year,” said Macheso
Kwatabva Mitunhu was released during the same period that the Tafadzwa album hit the market in 2010 but the latest album has failed to break the records set by the previous album.
The latest offering from the King of Sungura is a six-track album with songs that include Zvipo, Samasimba, Chirimuruwoko, Kutsvaga Chiremba, Macharangwanda and Cynthia.
Over the years Macheso has risen to be one of the top musicians in the country.
The sungura icon commands a huge fan base that cuts across ages. His music knows no boundaries as it can be heard in upmarket suburbs, played in growth points and enjoyed even in farming communities.
His ability to comment on social issues, assisted by his great guitar strumming skills has made Macheso a household name.
Since the formation of Orchestra Mberikwazvo in 1997, Macheso has gone on a bass guitar revolution that has seen him making the guitar “talk”.
To date, Macheso has produced nine albums and these include Zvinoda Kutendwa, Magariro, Vakiridzo, Simbaradzo, Zvakanaka Zvakadaro, Zvido Zvenyu, Vapupuri, Ndezvashe and Kwatabva Mitunhu.
Online Reporter