The Sunday News
Joel Tsvakwi, Sunday Life Reporter
ZIMBABWE sungura music maestro Alick Macheso is set to unpack his music prowess for the third time this year in South Africa barely a month after a successful tour in the UK alongside Oliver Mtukudzi.
The sungura virtuoso last performed in South Africa in April this year in Free State and Boksburg.
Having admitted the sliding appreciation of sungura music after the death of Tongai Dehwa Moyo in 2011, Macheso is set on an auto cruise to prove that the perceived waning fortunes of sungura are just but a fallacy.
Basking on the tide of a record breaking Tsoka Dzerwendo which sold out 100 000 copies on its first day of release, Macheso will be belting it out for the first time in Northwest Province.
The show which is slated for August 26 at Brits Town Hall and a day later in Boksburg, will see some up-and-coming South African based Zimbabwean artistes curtain raising for the 48-year-old sungura ace.
Clever Manpower Maphosa and his Sungura Super Beat alongside Fortune Commander Tagara and his Agape All Stars will warm the stage for the king of sungura.
In an interview with Sunday Life, Macheso’s public relations manager for international shows Victor Sithole aka VicSolutions said sungura lovers are going to have a special treat for the first time in Brits.
“This is the first time we are playing in Brits and it comes at a time we are solidifying our command on the sungura music arena both locally and internationally. It also comes barely a month after our UK tour with Oliver Mtukudzi,” he said, adding that it will not be an ordinary show for they will be further marketing hit album Tsoka Dzerwendo.
“This is not going to be an ordinary show but part of our ongoing outreach to our music fans, those in Brits who have always wanted to see Macheso face-to-face each time he plays in Johannesburg but could not afford due to the distance between Johannesburg and Brits.
Sithole further said that the Brits show will be a thriller of welcoming back Macheso’s erstwhile members.
“Our music fans will also have the opportunity to welcome back Jonasi Kasamba, Obert Gomba and Noel Nyazanga, who have re-joined the team Mberikwazvo. This is the first time ‘Mdara Cheso’ will perform in Brits and is promising real fireworks, a thriller so to speak — to the extent that those who have never seen him on stage will regret and understand what they have missed and what they will miss if they continue to miss his live shows,” he said.
Polite Nkomo proprietor of PKY July promotions who have of late been hosting most Zimbabwean artistes down south has been hailed for his outstanding work.
“Based on the short time we have interacted with this promoter and him bringing us to Brits for the first time, I can say he is genuine, quite composed and someone who really lives nothing unturned to attain his objective,” he said while adding that: “I am sure this is the main reason why most musicians from our motherland Zimbabwe see it fit and well to work with boss PKY, and we encourage this since Mberikwazvo believes in lasting, long time relationships and we foresee working with “Mdara” PKY for more times to come.
While riding on the unquenchable glory of Tsoka Dzerwendo Macheso will be sampling out new songs for his almost done 2017 album.
“Our music fans will be treated to a first class show and will have the privilege to listen and dance to one or two songs from our almost ready 2017 album. We are working to make it a yearly event now hence the need to sample these new songs to our loving sungura music fans,” Sithole said.
Meanwhile, Nkomo told Sunday Life that it was his ambition to host what he described as big guns in the Zimbabwean music circles.
“I have been doing music promotion for quite some time and I had done my part in grooming up and coming artistes. As I grow I need to do something challenging that’s why am hosting big guns and showcasing their talents,” said Nkomo who was born and bred in Plumtree.
