Will Macheso bounce back?

Fred Zindi
Alick Macheso never ceases to amaze me. Last week he participated in the Simon Chimbetu Tribute Concert held at the Harare Gardens alongside Jah Prayzah, Sulu Chimbetu, Extra Kwazvose, Dembo Brothers and Peter Moyo.Several music punters I interviewed after the gig reported that the Alick Macheso they have known for years did not live up to his usual standard of performance. Fans want to see Macheso dance. Even though his concerts are supported by a group of dancers, they expect the main man to perform his usual gyrations on stage. After all, this is what brought him to fame.

Many attribute this lucklustre performance to his recent injury in Guruve.
Macheso has of late been unable to do his stage antics of dancing and jumping after spraining his right ankle two months ago during a show in Guruve. Although the plaster on his leg has been removed, punters say that he is not as energetic as before, perhaps due to fear that he might sprain it again.

Alternatively, some think that he has fully recovered. To make matters worse, this happens at a time when some of his band members (Extra KwaZvose), whom he shared the stage with on this occasion, have deserted him.

Last year, I wrote advising Alick to dance more and sleep less as carefree times will soon be a thing of the past. If he has the energy, this is the time to show it as that is what showbiz is all about. That is reality. There will soon be a time when Alick is older, but still trying to do the Borrowdale or Kochekera dance, which, apart from his heart-stopping thumping bassline that could stop an elephant in its tracks, is his main attraction.

Fans who are familiar with the Macheso shows know that when he is in full swing, he plays the bass with his teeth, chin and shoulders. When he stops doing this expectant fans are naturally disappointed. He will just have to jump up and down again just like before if he is to remain on top of his game.

Fans will expect him to continue to do it and he will be forced to do it until he twists his ankle again. The fans will try to convince him that the twisted ankle is just a sprain, even though it looks black and blue. He will only stop when he realises that it is not a sprain, but a broken ankle or when the pain begins to affect him.

That is when he will realise that he is not 21 years old anymore. However, his fans must be reminded that there is still a lot more coming from the man as he prepares to give them his latest album which he is currently recording It is this new offering that will determine whether Macheso will bounce back or not.

Of course, Macheso has still a lot of things going for him. He is a very handsome man. He can play the bass very well and he still has a lot of energy. One cannot take that away from him, but imagine, 20 years from now, at 65, when he becomes an ugly, bald, wrinkled, grey-haired and decrepit Macheso.

You will be saying to yourself, “Oh, what a transformation from the guy who used to do all those moves during the Orchestra Mberikwazvo hey-days!” So let us allow him to burn all the energy he has got while he is still able to do so.

Macheso, arguably “The King of Sungura and Borrowdale/Kochekera Dance”, was born in 1968. Macheso says it was the music of the great Devera Ngwena Jazz Band that inspired him to take up the guitar.

The man started playing the guitar at the age of nine and everyone in the family did not understand why he was interested in making and playing the banjo. Since he grew up on a farm in Bindura, there was not much fun for Macheso. Apart from going to school, his only other source of entertainment became his banjo.

Macheso used to have problems with his grandmother when he started stealing twine strings from fishing rods to make his banjo.
Macheso could not continue with his studies as his mother could not afford to pay fees for his secondary school education. It was on leaving school in 1983 that he decided to move to the capital city, Harare, to look for employment.

Finding formal employment in Harare for someone without any advanced educational qualifications became an almost impossible task. However, in 1984 things began to take shape when he joined Nicholas “Madzibaba” Zakaria to form the Khiama Boys.

With Khiama Boys, in 1984 they released their debut single “Mabhauwa”. The song was an instant hit. Vocals for the song were done by the late System Tazvida. Other musicians who participated include Cephas Kurashanga and Nicholas Zakaria.

Other early hit songs by the Khiama Boys included “Kubva Kure”, “Shamiso”, “Sekuru Ndibatsireiwo”, “Chionai Amai” and “Varume Woye”. Khiama Boys went on to release their debut album “Kubva Kure” which was followed by equally good albums that included “Kuva Nemari”, “Mabvi Nemagokora” and “Zviri Mudzimba”.

Macheso decided to splinter from the Khiama Boys in the late 1990s. Assembling Orchestra Mberikwazvo with the help of Rise Kagona, formerly of the Bhundu Boys, Alick Macheso set off a niche on the Zimbabwean music scene. Although his first two albums, “Magariro” in 1998 and “Vakiridzo” in 1999 were not phenomenal, the third album, “Simbaradzo”, released in 2000, proved to be a gold mine. “Simbaradzo” sold 350 000 copies, breaking records for album sales in Zimbabwe.

Additionally, the album shot Macheso to stardom throughout Zimbabwe. “Simbaradzo” was to be the turning point in his career. His trademark bass-strumming technique, along with his flamboyant Borrowdale dance gave Macheso attention from all corners of the music industry. His follow-up to “Simbaradzo” entitled “Zvakanaka Zvakadaro” in 2001 was also a success, reportedly selling 100 000 copies in its first week alone.

In 2003, another album, “Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya”, was an instant hit and two years later, a follow up album, “Vapupuri Pupurai” catapulted Macheso onto the international map. He has since done two more albums which include the latest “Kwatakabva Mitunhu (Kure Kwekure)”.

Performances outside Zimbabwe have included the Southern African Summer Sunsplash Festival held in London, England. Macheso also played alongside Papa Wemba during the Francophone Week in March 2001.

Macheso’s music is also popular in neighbouring Mozambique and they have held successful tours there.
Macheso owes his bass guitar playing and song-writing prowess to a number of great musicians with whom he had played in the past. They include Nicholas Zakaria, Shepherd Chinyani, Tineyi Chikupo and Cephas Karushanga.

Macheso won his first award in 1999 at the Tinotenda Siyabonga Annual Musical Awards (Tsama) for the Best Upcoming Artiste. The second award came in year 2000 for the Best Sungura Artiste category. The Nama awards in the same category also followed in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Last year, he chose not to enter for the Nama Awards for reasons best known to him, but it is hoped that with the new album in the making coming up, he will bounce back. We wish him well!

Fred Zindi is a professor at the University of Zimbabwe. He is also a musician and an author of several books on music. He can be contacted via e-mail on [email protected]