Macheso getting distracted

The alleged culprits Tongai "Dhewa" Moyo takes pole.

Others are Nicholas "Madzibaba" Zachariah, Somandla "Mafia" Ndebele, Paradzai Mesi with Njerama Boys and others, a whole host. The brother gets furious, judging from his talk to scribes. Behind the scenes, I think he even throws tantrums. In a recent article in one weekly, he vowed not to share the stage with any of his shadows. Huh?

We need to examine Macheso’s utterances carefully and site the implications to his person and career. He has been going on and on about it.

Are Macheso’s utterances founded at all? Is he getting robbed? Yes? How does he measure a copy? And proceed to claim the product to his? What is really his about an artiste who has produced his/her own CD and have an audience who follow them feverishly? Some like Dhewa even afford gigs beyond the great waters.

Here is my take. No one steals from Macheso. If any artiste does, to some extent, sound like him that is as far as they can go. They are emulating him.

What should dawn on Macheso is that he is the leader. Indeed he is the undisputed King of Sungura at present. Le champione de champione, better than the rest. Others follow! Enough! It goes without saying. Only those who doubt their leadership see the need to declare it. I gathered this from someone.

Many agree with me that Macheso creates style on the Zim music scene. He popped up the slow motion dance which I had the privilege of watching live in its formative stages. I got bamboozled. I try it up to this day. What a flop!

He innovated the unplugged bass. Sooner Njerama Boys, Joseph Garakara, Madzibaba, et al were doing it. He made attempts at the 'razor wire' and 'chikopokopo' dances. They were not so popular. (To date he does not have any other dance of note.)

Macheso's role as leader on the Sungura scene is to path find unchattered waters. To continue to create, innovative and make this genre evolve in all its facets. This way he guarantees the style and fashion that is Sungura.

If then Tongai Moyo does his own make of 'chikopokopo' dance, it’s because he finds it fashionable. Somandla Ndebele also belts out the unplugged bass, it is in vogue.

If Madzibaba’s dancers treat us to slow motion, they should because it is the latest style around. Plain! Some styles even endure for decades.

Following the in thing in the music industry is not without precedence the world over. I will pick on Michael Jackson’s break and moonwalk dances. The dances were created by Michael Jackson some decades ago. The whole wide world went break dancing and moonwalking, artistes and revelers alike. He inspired many. To this day, one finds teenager artistes all over the globe break dancing and moonwalking. They were not born then when he danced. Michael should tell them all off?

Now in the 21st century I have seen break dance and moonwalk fused with Samba, Ndombolo and Borrowdale. One of Macheso’s dancers is very popular because he bastardizes break-dance/moonwalk with Borrowdale. Michael should rush to Y.O.U. and scoff at him?

Some dude created the screaming rock lead way before I saw light of day. Eric Clapton and Axle Rose obviously emulated it because they are rock stars. However Bob Marley, Ndala (Dally) Kimoko (of Congo), Thomas Mapfumo and Roberto Carlos, icons in their own rights, packaged the rock lead with their own music. Theirs is an act of acknowledgement and appreciation of a style created by some leader.

I am trying to show Macheso and those around him the daily transactions which characterize showbiz anywhere one docks. To have others bite your style for a celeb is normal. It's a tenet of leadership. It does well for one’s ego really. To the contrary for one to declare that one is a leader, at the same time, one does not need followers, is a stroll in the park.

What is evident to the inner eye now, is for my brother Macheso to continue to hype about being copied each time some enterprising paparazzi approaches you is maladaptive. It is cause of concern and he should be advised accordingly.

What concern is it? Macheso dedicated the title track of his previous product, Vapupuri Pupurai to his rivals. This was an obvious reaction to his alleged wrong doers. His latest offer, Ndezvashe-eh, seems to me another reaction to the same foes. He is saying, “Don’t copy me coz you will not succeed, the Almighty endowed me with the gift”.

It is clear that Macheso is, to some interesting extend, on a reactive mindset for some time. The result, he is directing his energies to the futile act of lacing his lyrics to denigrate his foes. He is not fully engaging himself to the fullness of his artistry and genius in a positive manner. His music is good. But is this the best we can get from him?

Vapupuri Pupurai, that track, to me, was just tasteless. It did not belong. The lyrics on the latest which go “Musatyityidzirwe nezizi richiti rinenyanga, harina nyanga, inzeve!” don’t exactly fit on this duel of a number. He is being reactive and not fully proactive. What’s the problem with that?

We need social scientists here?

I will treat the other side of Macheso’s mindset. The brother is taking every other opportunity availed by the press to diss his rivals. He blabber mouths, "I will never, ever share the stage with any of my copycats." No sooner had he said that, he is all over the country doing family shows with Nicholas "Madzibaba" Zachariah. Why now? For the perceived money, I reckon. That is vain.

He is now sharing the stage with Tongai Moyo, his declared enemy. And he still maintains he is not really sharing the stage. Gives reasons, it's because of this and that promoter or these and those fans. Oops! You see why foul mouthing is bad for a leader. Never say never!

Will some one treat about the violence which goes into rivalries in the music industry? Word is around the Macheso/Tongai Moyo feud is headed for that.

Another thing: Why was the release of Ndezvashe-eh so bungled up? Every Tom, Dick and Harry is pirating it by the street corner. Could it be the manager is too consumed with guarding against Macheso’s foes, advising him on the 'owl has no horns stuff'? And overlooks real business? What a hurriedly done video! What is the management doing?

My parting shot. Macheso, if you haven't been crowned, here goes. You are the King of Sungura. A leader. Let others follow. They can only follow. Stop jabbering. Blabber mouths for leaders don't get us far. Let your art do the talk. Get off the anger. It’s a bad example.

Your latest album is real "ngoda, six kona," a gem. Minus the "owl has no horns blah, blah".