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Bruce Ndlovu .
On Friday last week, Alick Machesoa��s famed bass guitar wailed and soared in front of a meagre crowd at Manor Hotel.
The pitiful audience present that night came to witness him perform for the first time in the City of Kings since the dawn of 2017.
The pomp, fanfair and the jubilation that usually accompanies the coming of the long reigning sungura king when he hits town was all but lost, with the small but enthusiastic crowd trying but failing to match the excitement and verve of the sungura kingpin.
On stage, Macheso has not lost a step. The bass guitar is still a toy in his hands and like a child cradling a much loved plaything, he can still make it do anything that jumps into his imaginatively fertile mind.
His performances are still dynamite and although he has not orchestrated any new signature dance moves recently, he is still the nimble-footed guitar wielding maestro he was a year ago.
In contrast, only a week before Machesoa��s unceremonious pilgrimage to Bulawayo, Jah Prayzah made an all the more merrier appearance in the City of Kings.
Prayzaha��s mbira fared much better than Machesoa��s guitar and the crowd that came out to see him perform confirmed what many already know; there is indeed a new sheriff in town on the Zimbabwean music scene.
This was not the first time that the sungura king has seemed to be left in the dust by his younger compatriots who seem to be attracting larger crowds at will.
While it is undeniable that Macheso hasna��t had a runaway smash hit that can grab the nationa��s attention as some of his old songs did, there is no doubt that he is still one of the headline grabbing stars in Zimbabwe.
So what has changed to alter the trajectory of Machesoa��s career? Why is he not attracting the bumper crowds that he used to and why has he been outmuscled to such unfashionable venues as Manor Hotel?
To put it crudely, in artistic terms at least, Macheso has reached menopause.A�A� Medicinet defines menopause as a�?the absence of menstrual periods for 12 months, during which time in a womana��s life when the function of the ovaries ceasesa�?.
This of course is the scientific definition of what the condition does to a woman. Its effects usually go beyond the physical.
Menopause is usually not easy for women to handle as it is a time of transition to the later phase in their life. The effect is not merely physical, as some women might even begin to question their own womanhood during this trying time.
How does this apply to Macheso? Hard as it is for the sungura star to accept, it might be time to acknowledge that he is no longer the hotshot act that he was a few years ago. His music output is no longer earth shattering, and he is no longer the flowering plant that many fans would come far and wide to sample.
The nectar that he produces, no longer smells as fresh as those made by the fresher, younger flowers next door.
However, in the same way that a woman does not stop being a woman because of menopause, Macheso is still a bona fide star that cannot be dismissed offhand.
He is currently undergoing a phase that most sungura kings have not lived long enough to witness. The likes of Leonard Dembo, System Tazvida and Tongai Moyo were cut short in their prime and did not live long enough to see a gradual decline in their fame.
In this regard Macheso is unique, as he can determine the direction of his career and also carve out a path for the current stars who will also have to confront what he is currently experiencing. The clock does not stop for anyone.
The process of menopause does not occur overnight, but rather it is gradual.
It is undeniable that Macheso has also witnessed a period of quiet decline. Before that process is complete, he will have to find a way to arrest his slide and also find his new role and position in the Zimbabwean music landscape.
Online Reporter