The Return Of The King!. . . Mapfumo euphoria grips Guruve
By Mirirai Nsingo
Sekuru Chiwanza Makore (90) still has vivid memories of Chimurenga music legend Thomas Mapfumo’s first bira staged under a big Muhacha tree (mubola plum/hissing tree) in his home area of Guruve.
Held in the early 1980s, sekuru Chiwanza remembers the day like it was yesterday. He can almost hear the sweet sounds of the haunting mbira as they fell off the fingers of the talented entranced gwenyambira — the artistes, like it was yesterday.
It was significant that he held the bira, a traditional ceremony, under the Muhacha tree, which is a tree for supplication known as the domicile of the ancestors or muti wevadzimu — the tree of the ancestors. The ancestors are believed to reside in the tree which has a religious significance to people who worship Mwari from the days of old!
Mukanya, as Thomas Mapfumo is affectionately known, was raised by his mother and stepfather, and went on to use his stepfather’s surname according to sekuru Chiwanza, who is Mukanya’s uncle.
The bira was meant to reconnect him with his kith and kin; fellow Mukanyas, with whom he had never met.
The Chimurenga godfather’s homecoming visit back then was the first time most villagers from Chipuriro Village set sight on a petrol-powered electricity generator, Sekuru Chiwanza recounts.
“The bira will forever be in our memories, it put Guruve on the map. The bira brought technology in our remote village for the first time.
“It is a day we will never forget, that Muchacha tree is of great significance to us. It is the spot where the welcome show was held,” says sekuru Chiwanza.
The 90-year-old, who says Mukanya has kept in touch with him could not hide the excitement noting how he had been missed before going on to chronicle the brief history of the Chimurenga music legend
“I have missed him, we have all missed him,” he said, his voice oozing of an almost palpable nostalgia.
“Mukanya mwana wemukoma wangu asi vese vakapera kufa saka ndini baba vasara. (He is my brother’s son and I’m his surviving father now that all my brothers died).
“He was raised by his stepfather and Mapfumo is his stepfather’s surname. He is a Soko, Wafawanaka ana Makore.
“Phone aindichaira chaizvo kana pane zvaarikuda kutaura neni uye iniwo kana ndichida kutaura naye ndinokumbira mukomana womufonera.” (He has kept in touch after leaving the country and I have also communicated with him whenever I needed to talk to him).
“His home coming means so much to us, I have missed him. Although we have always talked over the phone, I miss him and look forward to being with him. His father (Tapfumaneyi) was my brother.
“I thought I would never see him again, although I have partially lost my sight due to old age, I’m still happy that he is finally coming home and we will get to sit down and talk man to man,” he adds.
Sekuru Chiwanza says as soon as he sets foot in Zimbabwe, he should head to Guruve first so they can let the spiritual realm know that he is back home. The Herald
