Uncertainty over Macheso’s new album

By Kelvin Benjamin

HARARE – Music fans appear destined to wait even longer for sungura music icon Alick Macheso’s first album in the last three years.

Macheso’s manager William Tsandukwa told the Daily News at the end of last year that the sungura icon would use his traditional month-long January break to complete his highly-anticipated album.

“He will use the time to polish up his forthcoming album which is at an advanced stage,” said Tsandukwa then.

But more than two months later, the promised album has not materialised.

Over the past month, Tsandukwa has refused to answer questions on the delayed album.

He has continually referred this paper to Macheso himself.

In a recent interview with the Daily News, Macheso attributed his failure to deliver the follow-up to the poorly-received 2012 offering Kwatabva Mitunhu on the delayed completion of his recording studio.

“I recently received some studio equipment that I had been waiting for and soon I will be recording new songs,” said the Shedia singer.

The sungura music icon though refused to give a specific time frame.

“We will be working on the album and it will be released this year,” was all Macheso could say.

Amid conflicting signals from the Macheso camp on the status of the forthcoming album, a source close to Macheso who declined to be identified, claims the music star has no confidence in the instrumentalists in the current Orchestra Mberikwazvo.

“Macheso has everything that he needs right now but he appears to lack confidence in his current band members especially the instrumentalists,” said the well-placed source.

“Macheso is under pressure to release an album that will equal or surpass some of his previous blockbuster albums like Ndezvashe and Zvinoda Kutendwa but it would appear he doesn’t have faith in the guitarists at his disposal.

“I think the current crop he has lacks the co-ordination and rapport that Macheso had with founding members of Orchestra Mberikwazvo.”

The source added that the lack of a new album in the last three years has made Macheso’s shows very predictable.

“Macheso’s live shows have become somewhat boring and repetitive because he has no new songs to play.

“Releasing a new powerful album will help him retain his status as the darling of fans of sungura music,” he said.

Macheso’s albums include Kwatakabva Mitunhu (Kure Kwekure), Zvinoda Kutendwa, Ndezvashe-eh Vapupuri Pupurai, Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya, Zvakanaka Zvakadaro, Simbaradzo, Vakiridzo and Pakutema Munda. Daily News