After listening to just one track from Alick Macheso titled ‘Gungwa’ I was convinced that Sungura is saved and the king is really back in action. Everything the man does is madness with precise method and intent.

Written by Jeffrey Murimbechi

The album title Tsoka Dzerwendo sounds simple on the surface, but, in depth its a bold statement reminding the music industry to take a look at the journey he’s taken to get to the pinnacle of Sungura.

After all the guy is a purist Sungura artist who probably learnt his lesson not to blend too much rumba and other elements to his crisp sound.

In the 15 minute long ‘Gungwa’ he maintains the structure and format of Sungura hit music that is, a build up intro that starts with a huge thud followed by loads of rhythm as build up to the song.

This is followed by a few verses broken down by guitar sequels that carry the message and then the good part comes, the part Zimbabweans always refer to as ‘Change Gear’ that’s the part in ‘Gungwa’ that hit me the most.

He uses imagery, in the form of the sea (Gungwa) which he advises is a monument that can not be emptied by using feeble instruments such as spoons, buckets, tubs and cups.

Once again he is provocative  asking “Maikupa nei Gungwa”, which in itself is a mockery to any fool trying to take on a great monument without what it takes.

He goes on further to use a mountain as an example asking how on earth a sane person would like to take down a mountain using a spoon or a shovel

Then it climaxes in more direct language when he throws yet another provocative rhetoric “Waitangirei musindo?….Iwe uchiziva kuti hauzvimiriri, waitemba vamwe vachapindira” which directly translates to “why would you start a fight when you can’t back it up, were you hoping your buddies would step in?

The man is pure genius and it takes a while for the music to sink in simply because of the complexity of his strings and the long shelf life of his music no wonder why most of his albums did well.

Then comes the signature bass guitar from about 7:17 which is something that sounds like the bi-product of a martian, a lunatic and a genius blended together and served up as a potent concentrate for almost 2 minutes.

As we all know he has new band members and they also have a go at solos, these nameless guys are surely catching up to the standard and this is a good year for Sungura, much needed competition.

———Jeffrey Murimbechi used to be a columnist at the Sunday Mail writing music reviews. He is also a practicing journalist and the Social Media Producer at ZiFM Stereo follow him on Twitter: @jeffreydanai