Alick Macheso

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Musician
Alick Macheso
Alick Macheso, Musician
BornAlick Chisale
(1968-06-10) June 10, 1968 (age 55)
EducationMashayamombe Secondary School
Occupation
  • Musician
  • Guitarist
  • Songwriter
Years active1982 to present
OrganizationOrchestra Mberikwazvo
Home townShamva in Mashonaland Central Province
Spouse(s)Nyadzisai Butau
ChildrenSharon Macheso, Alick Junior, Maneesha and 4 others
Parent(s)Hudson Chisale and Emilia Chisale nee Macheso
RelativesNicholas Zakaria, Zakaria Zakaria

Alick Macheso is one of Zimbabwe's top Sungura musicians of all time. He is an award winning guitarist, lyricist, and dancer. Macheso rose to prominence in the early 1990s with his album 'Magariro' which carried the hit 'Pakutema munda' and 'Baba namai'.

Professional career

After independence, Macheso came to Harare in 1983 where he joined the Shepherd Chinyani-led Vhuka Boys. He was earlier taught how to play the lead and bass guitars by Rogers Chimusoro and Chinyani respectively. Macheso, whilst touring with the band later met Nicholas Zakaria. Since the Vhuka band had no equipment, Macheso was forced to abandon it and later joined Zakaria who was staying in Epworth. The latter had formed the Khiama Boys earlier. When he temporarily hanged the mic, to concentrate on driving, Macheso then decided to form the Orchestra Mberikwazvo with Zakaria Zakaria, Nicholas’ younger brother.

With the help of the Bhundu Boys, Macheso went on to release popular albums such as 'Simbaradzo', 'Zvakanaka Zvakadaro' and 'Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya'. Macheso rose to fame with the album Magariro that had a number of hits including Pakutema Munda, Baba naMai among many others. Vakiridzo and then another Simbaradzo in 2000. Zvakanaka Zvakadaro came in 2001, Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya in 2003 and was followed by Vapupuri Pupurai some two years later. Ndezvashe was recorded in South Africa after Macheso’s contract with Gramma Records expired.[1]

Rivalry

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was reported that Macheso and Tongai Moyo were not seeing eye to eye. Macheso allegedly labeled Moyo a copycat. The rivalry between the two was even evidenced by the media as journalists took sides. However, Macheso vehemently denied the claims as lies.[2]

Discography

Albums

  1. Magariro (1998)
  2. Vakiridzo (1999)
  3. Simbaradzo (2000)
  4. Zvakanaka Zvakadaro (2001)
  5. Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya (2003)
  6. Vapupuri Pupurai (2005)
  7. Ndezvashe(2007)
  8. Zvinoda Kutendwa (2010)
  9. Kwatabva Mitunhu(kure kwekure)(2012)
  10. Tsoka Dzerwendo (2016)
  11. Dzinosvitsa Kure (2018)

Singles

  • Zuro Ndizuro (2020)
Zuro Ndizuro Alick Macheso

Awards

Macheso has won several National Arts Merit Awards and Zimbabwe Music Awards. These include;

  • Best Song of the Year - Madhawu(2003)
  • Best Live Performer (ZIMA) (2004 and 2005)
  • Best Sungura Artiste (ZIMA)

Personal life

Macheso was born to Hudson and Emilia Chisale. His parents were of Malawian origin. They migrated from Malawi and then to Mozambique driven by the desire for farming. However, since Macheso's father, Hudson Chisale was a musician, Macheso's mother's family would not let their daughter marry him. As a result, Macheso was named Alick Silva-Macheso, after his immigrant Mozambican mother’s surname. Macheso grew up with his mother(after she was remarried) at a farm in Shamva in Mashonaland Central Province. He has four half-brothers – Partson, Harrison, Mike and Jones – and a sister, Hilda. He is married to Nyadzisai with five children – four girls and a boy. In 2011, he took a second wife, Tafadzwa Mapako and had two children with her before the two divorced in 2014.

Macheso had a passion for music from a very tender age whilst doing his primary education. He was taught how to play the two string banjo by his uncles Julius and Rogers Macheso. His talent in playing the instrument was vivid as he surpassed his mentors and started challenging himself by adding more strings to his guitar. All this while, he was a primary school student at Enterprise Primary School in Shamva. His passion further grew after he finished school. He would sing and play the guitar while going to the fields and tending to the vegetables at Hereford Farm where he worked. After work, he would sit on some rocks with his uncles practicing the guitar. At age nine, Macheso had already become a magnet for young girls whom he serenaded with his guitar strings.[3]

Social Responsibility

Alick Macheso was appointed Red Cross Zimbabwe Ambassador in 2013 after the society noticed his efforts to improve the welfare of the vulnerable and sick through his annual Chitungwiza General Hospital Charity show. “As a humanitarian organisation, we are touched by the work Macheso has been doing through holding Annual Benefit Concerts for Chitungwiza General Hospital in the past few years.

“These concerts which are his direct brainchild have helped improve service delivery at Chitungwiza Hospital and also contributed to its recent ISO certification.” He added: “Macheso has also been paying school fees for orphaned and vulnerable children at Kushinga Phikelela outside other individual philanthropic activities. “Such acts are consistent with our nationwide humanitarian interventions and we are honoured to have him as our Humanitarian Ambassador.”

Macheso’s ambassadorial role would include helping in humanitarian work and writing songs for the society. The musician’s band will in return get free medical cover from Iranian Red Crescent and their security officers would be trained in first aid. Macheso thanked the organisation for noticing his work.

Divorce

Macheso in April 2014 divorced his second wife, Tafadzwa Mapako. The two had been married for four years and had two children. The two agreed that Macheso would pay Tafadzwa US$200 per week, US$350 per month for rentals and $100 for medicals.[4] This was Tafadzwa's third failed marriage after the other two collapsed.

  • Alleged Causes of the Divorce
  1. It is reported that Tafadzwa agreed to the divorce because she alleged Macheso had an unusual way of treating fontanelle (nhova). Whatsapp messages that were leaked revealed that Macheso would insert his manhood into the child’s mouth so as to cure "nhova".[5] As a result, Tafadzwa was against this causing the break up.

Macheso's Admission

The sungura star admittted using his manhood to cure nhova but denied the claims of ejaculating into the baby's mouth. He said that he uses a method known as ' which involves a father sliding his manhood from the face, left ear, right ear and the back of the head to the middle of the head.[6]

  1. It was alleged that another reason for the divorce was Macheso's small manhood which Tafadzwa claimed failed to satisfy her. Tafadzwa likened it to a caterpillar worm (dora). As a result of this, it is alleged they never slept together since Tafadzwa gave birth to their second child.[7]

The Maintenance Debacle

Though the two had earlier agreed on how much Macheso was to dish out to Mapako, Mapako through her lawyer, David Ngwerume applied to the civil court that Macheso was suppossed to pay him $7 130 per month to cater for Macheso's two children, an amount which she described as just a drop in the Kariba Dam considering the income that Macheso gains.[8] She cited that other than getting money from his Orchestra Mberikwazvo band and live performances, he also gets money from endorsements deals which he made with Bakers Inn, Red Cross and Nash Paints.[8] Mapako was thus labeled a gold digger by Macheso's first wife as she accused her of trying to extort money from his former husband by demanding an erroneous amount as maintenance fee.[8] In retaliation, Macheso through his lawyer, Norman Mugiya offered to pay $150 per month.[9]

In May, the magistrate presiding over the case, Tafadzwa Mavhami ordered Macheso to pay $1 030.[10] Mavhami argued that there was no witness to prove that Macheso had given Tafadzwa gupuro, divorcing her customarily and thus he was obliged to do so.[10] After this ruling it was generally accepted that Macheso had won and Tafadzwa conceded defeat.On 6 June Macheso it was reported that Macheso had customarily divorced Mapako [11] Macheso thus had customarily divorced Mapako.

Quest for a Paternity Test

Macheso during the divorce and the maintenance issue had questioned the paternity of his former wife's two children Maneesha and Alick Junior. Muvhami also ruled out that the two were supposed to have DNA paternity tests to bring this matter to finality not later than 6 June 2014.[10] On the 4th of June, the two went for a paternity test at the National Blood Transfusion Services of Zimbabwe in anticipation of the results in two weeks time.[12]

Results of the Tests

This time around Tafadzwa can be said to have won this battle. The paternity test results released on the 19th of June proved that Macheso is the biological father of Mapako's two sons.[13] This was confirmed by Ngwerume, Tafadzwa's lawyer and Mugiya Macheso's lawyer.[13]

Seeking Divine Intervention

At the launch of Nicholas Zakaria's 26th album on 25 January 2015, Macheso hinted that he was going to join Walter Magaya's Prophetic Healing Deliverance (PHD) Ministries in a bid to seek divine intervention in order to be rejuvenated.[14] Magaya presided over the wedding of Sharon Macheso and Macheso's first wife Nyadzisai is a member of PHD. Several musicians have aligned themselves with Magaya.

Trivia

In 2013, a certain Chipinge man, Tafi Phiri claimed he was Macheso's father and wanted a paternity test with Alick to prove it. Phiri said he never went back to Malawi as earlier reported by the press but rather he relocated to Chipinge after the failed marriage.[15]

Videos

ALICK MACHESO-"CHIMOKO" LONDON 2012
ALICK MACHESO - "MADHUWE" LONDON LIVE 02/11/12

References

  1. Wonder Guchu, Alick Macheso came at the right time on the scene, 'Intimate with Zim Musicians', Published: ND, Retrived; 29 Apr 2014
  2. New Zim, The Truth About: Alick Macheso, 'New Zimbabwe', Published: 15 Sep 2009, Retrieved: 28 Apr 2014
  3. Shepherd Chinyani, The Truth About: Alick Macheso, 'New Zimbabwe', Published: 26 Apr 2012, Retrieved: 29 Apr 2014
  4. Tawanda Marwizi, Macheso, Tafadzwa finalise divorce, 'Chronicle' Published: 26 Apr 2014, Retrieved: 29 April 2014
  5. iHarare, Leaked Whatsapp chats: Alick Macheso allegedly ejaculated in baby's mouth to cure nhova, 'My Zimbabwe', Published: 25 April 2014, Retrieved: 28 April 2014
  6. Tawanda Marwizi, Cheso admits using manhood on child, 'Herald', Published: 6 May 2014, Retrieved: 6 May 2014
  7. iHarare, Damning Report:Macheso’s marriage to Tafadzwa collapsed because his small manhood could not satisfy her in bed, 'iHarare', Published: 24 Apr 2014, Retrieved: 28 Apr 2014
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 , title, "Zimbeats news",published: 15 May 2014:,retrived:20 June 2014"
  9. , Macheso offers $150 monthly maintenance to Tafadzwa, "Zimbeats news",published:15 May 2014:,retrived:20 June 2014"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 , BREAKING NEWS: Macheso to pay US$ 1030 maintenance, "Zimbeats news",published:16 May 2014:,retrived:20 June 2014"
  11. , Macheso customarily divorces Tafadzwa, "Zimbeat news",published:6 Jun 2014:,retrived:20 June 2014"
  12. , Macheso undergoes DNA tests, "Zimbeat news",published:7 Jun 2014:,retrived:20 June 2014"
  13. 13.0 13.1 , It's Official Alick Macheso is the Father of Nyaradzai’s children, "Zimbeat news",published:19 Jun 2014:,retrived:20 June 2014"
  14. MACHESO: I'M JOINING PROPHET MAGAYA'S CHURCH, Mafaro, Published:26 Jan 2015, Retrieved:27 January 2015"
  15. I'm Macheso's Father: Chipinge Man

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