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Lovemore Chikova Assistant Editor
It is a debate that is literally refusing to go.
And this time around it was re-ignited in the build-up to the launch of sungura musician Alick Macheso’s latest album “Tinosvitswa Nashe” at Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex yesterday.
For years and at intervals, the argument centred on who is or was better between Macheso and the late sungura music legendary Leonard Dembo.
What is clear about this debate is that it will remain unsolved for years to come, as it always ends without a winner or a loser.
It appears sungura music lovers have decided to tolerate each other on this one.
They debate furiously on who is the greatest between the two musicians, vehemently opposing each other, before the debate dies.
When it is rekindled by incidents like the launch of the latest album by Macheso, the sungura music lovers resume their debate, each sticking to their original side without vacillating.
Still the old points always crop up, making the whole debate appear monotonous.
For the better part of this week, Facebook pages and Whatsapp groups were bombarded by the debate pitting Macheso versus Dembo.
Well, those elevating Dembo to the high echelons of local music always cite his success with Chitekete, a song that was almost like a national anthem, which attracted international acclaim by being played on the catwalk at the Miss Universe pageant in Namibia in 1996.
The song was also voted Zimbabwe’s Silver Jubilee Best Song.
Dembo is seen as having had an advantage over Macheso when it comes to consistency, releasing hit songs throughout his career.
Almost every song done by Dembo is viewed as a hit and good enough to have made it to number one on musical charts.
The other point buttressed by Dembo’s supporters is that he managed to evolve his music from the early albums like “Mai neVana Vavo” to his last albums like “Tinokumbira Kurarama”.
The supporters cite a remarkable talent in Dembo that enabled him to make his beat progressive by improving with each album.
Dembo was one of the best lead guitarists in the sungura genre, and his lead guitar dominated on most of his songs, but well complimented by the rhythm guitar and the bass.
Nowadays, most sungura musicians, including Macheso, employ four guitars – lead, bass, rhythm and sub-rhythm, but Dembo used only three guitars – lead, bass and rhythm, with the sound still good enough to stand the taste of time.
Those who argue on Macheso’s side always cite his ability to expertly play the bass guitar and produce any sound that he likes.
Macheso is also a good dancer, who has exhibited his prowess since he broke away from Kiama Boys to found his own Ochestra Mberi Kwazvo band.
His “Simbaradzo” album is regarded as one of the best selling locally as it reached more than 300 000 copies.
Credit goes to Macheso for being “the only one” standing in the sungura genre, literally carrying the genre on his shoulders at a time when some are shunning it for emerging genres like Zimdancehall.
Some of the sungura music lovers dug deeper and produced the Radio Zimbabwe Top 50 best songs showing how many times Dembo and Macheso’s songs have been number one on the list.
Dembo was on number one with “Sharai” in 1997, “Vane Mazita Ngavaremekedzwe” in 1989 and “Chitekeke” in 1991.
On the other hand, Macheso was on number one with “Mundikumbuke” in 2000, “Madhawu” in 2003, “Tafadzwa” in 2011, and “Macharangwanda” in 2013.
Here are some of the comments that were trending on Facebook and Whatsapp throughout the week contrasting Dembo and Macheso musical works.
On a Facebook group named Dembo the Legend, Moses Nyamandu had this to say: “Zvekuti Dembo na Macheso kushaya zvekutaura, siyayi Dembo zvake akadaro idhara remumhanzi muZimbabwe”.
Lovemore Mwashayenyi said: “Nyangwe Dembo akafa kudero, anongokunda Macheso mupenyu”.
Revai Feruka said: “Guys munhu anonzi Dembo naMacheso vanhu ava vanogona vese zvavo hatingati ndiani anogona kudarika mumwe. Uye musaenzanise mufi nemunhu mupenyu.
“Panguva yaDembo hongu vaigona baba ava asi zvanhasi Macheso ndiye oga arikumberi kwevaimbi vose nekuti mupenyu. Dembo dai aripo zvimwe dai akatoperawo kare pamumhanzi yacho.
““Hakuna chisingaperi”.
Another social media commentator, Dumisani Mupinga said: “I see two legends in one picture! No need to compare. I am sure even BaSharo (Macheso) would never wanna be compared to the G.O.A.T! Let’s all go support the living legend kuAquatic Complex!”
Willard Chipendo said: “Dembo wasn’t innovative enough to fit into Macheso’s shoes, don’t insult BaSharo.” And in response to Chipendo, Thomas Kwaririma had this to say: “Shava… Dembo was both innovative and creative. Just listen to any of his golden oldies song and compare with any of Macheso’s current songs. You will certainly come back with a different analysis.”
Perhaps one of the most intriguing assessment of Macheso’s musical career came from veteran music critic and writer Garikai Mazara who wrote on Facebook.
Here is the abridged version of his opinion:
“Wine-makers, brewers and distillers, besides giving considerable respect to their ingredients, also value the time to maturity, that is period of fermentation of their products. They believe and argue that the longer the fermentation, the better the produce.
“This, in part, might have inspired the saying, wine gets better with age. That the more the liquid stays in brew, the stronger the punch.
“Whilst this brewing theory and the derived statement (wine gets better with age) might be true in the brewing process, or elsewhere in life where it might be figuratively implied, it is proving not so true when it comes to Alick Macheso, probably the best thing that has so far happened to sungura music in this country.
“Breaking away from Khiama Boys, Macheso was to hit us with “Vakiridzo”, “Simbaradzo”, “Zvakanaka Zvakadaro” and “Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya”, compilations which made us believe that the wine was getting better with age, as each release outdid the previous one.
“Then somehow, in the middle of the last decade, that wine lost taste. It wasn’t a sudden loss of taste, it was a gradual decline. Throw into the mix issues of infidelity, who will ever forget Tafadzwa “Nyarara”?
“Macheso, somehow, lost the tempo and there could be as many theories as the grains of hops, malt or barley in that brewer’s mix as to why and how he lost that tempo.
“Anyway, being the genius that he is, probably sensing that his fortunes, musical notes that is, were waning, he roped in the likes of Freeman (in any case dancehall, or Afro-pop, was ruling the roost). It seemed to work for a second or two, as his ratings slightly improved.
“On June 10 (yesterday) he is said to be launching his latest album.
“My question, rather problem, or concern, is, isn’t he going to give us those half-backed (not half-baked) releases?”
Online Reporter