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NewsDay

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Macheso awakens Esigodini

Life & Style
Normally sleepy Esigodini town in Matabeleland South came alive on Sunday evening when sungura music maestro Alick Macheso took to the stage with his Orchestra Mberikwazo band. The energetic and highly entertaining performance was held at Jabula Inn. Macheso, whose last performance it was in Matabeleland before heading back to Harare, proved to all and […]

Normally sleepy Esigodini town in Matabeleland South came alive on Sunday evening when sungura music maestro Alick Macheso took to the stage with his Orchestra Mberikwazo band.

The energetic and highly entertaining performance was held at Jabula Inn.

Macheso, whose last performance it was in Matabeleland before heading back to Harare, proved to all and sundry that he was in Esigodini for serious business.

He came on stage just before midnight when his fans, whose patience was wearing thin waiting for “Cheso Power” to entertain them, started chanting his name in unison.

Another sungura musician, Tryson Chimbetu, had been on stage since the early hours of the night. When Macheso finally emerged after one of his band members had announced that Orchestra Mberikwazo was finally taking to the stage, there was a deafening din of shouts and whistles.

The band kicked off with some intricate instrumental music and then sent their fans into some serious “Borrowdale” dance.

On stage, Macheso’s dancers also showcased their well-choreographed dance routines, much to the delight of their fans that had travelled from far and wide to witness one of the country’s most polished performers.

Macheso is a talented artist. In fact, his guitar work is so well executed that even when the band is not singing fans take over the vocals.

They sang along to Macheso’s hits such as Madhau, Amai vaRuby, Chimoko Changu and Petunia among a string of his hits.

All his songs were familiar to the audience and they danced to most of the tunes, braving the near-freezing temperatures to lend support to the undisputed sungura king.

He added more flavour to his performance by stopping the music and telling his fans how much he appreciated them to roars of approval.

“I like being here,” he said speaking in Ndebele before belting out one song after another.

The show organisers should be commended for putting up four bonfires where punters huddled to keep away the cold while following proceedings at the open-air gig.

Macheso performed until the early hours of the morning, leaving his fans, who could not get enough of him, clamouring for more.