Alick Macheso Biography
Alick Macheso is renowned as one of the greatest Sungura musicians in Zimbabwe’s music history. He has earned accolades as an award-winning guitarist, lyricist, and dancer.
His rise to fame began in the early 1990s with the release of his album ‘Magariro’, featuring the chart-topping hits ‘Pakutema munda’ and ‘Baba namai’.
Age
Macheso was born on June 10, 1968. (Age 55 as of 2024)
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Career
Macheso’s love for music started at a young age while he was still in primary school. He was fortunate to have uncles, Julius and Rogers Macheso, who taught him how to play the two-string banjo.
Macheso’s musical talent was evident as he quickly surpassed his mentors and began challenging himself by adding more strings to his guitar.
All of this occurred while he was still a primary school student at Enterprise Primary School in Shamva.
Macheso’s passion for music continued to grow after he completed his schooling. While working at Hereford Farm and tending to the vegetables, he would sing and play the guitar.
In 1983, following Zimbabwe’s independence, Macheso relocated to Harare and became a member of the Vhuka Boys, a band led by Shepherd Chinyani.
Before this, he had been instructed on how to play the lead and bass guitars by Rogers Chimusoro and Chinyani, respectively.
While on tour with the Vhuka Boys, Macheso met Nicholas Zakaria. Due to the Vhuka band’s lack of equipment, Macheso was compelled to leave and later joined Zakaria, who had already established the Khiama Boys and was residing in Epworth.
After taking a break from music to focus on driving, Macheso partnered with Nicholas Zakaria’s younger brother to form the Orchestra Mberikwazvo.
With assistance from the Bhundu Boys, they went on to produce successful albums such as ‘Simbaradzo’, ‘Zvakanaka Zvakadaro’ and ‘Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya’.
Macheso gained widespread recognition with his album ‘Magariro’, which featured several hit songs, including ‘Pakutema Munda’ and ‘Baba naMai’, among others. He also released ‘Vakiridzo’ and another ‘Simbaradzo’ album in 2000.
‘Zvakanaka Zvakadaro’ was released in 2001, followed by ‘Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya’ in 2003, and ‘Vapupuri Pupurai’ two years later.
‘Ndezvashe’ was recorded in South Africa after Macheso’s contract with Gramma Records had expired.
Alick Macheso Biography
Albums
- Magariro (1998)
- Vakiridzo (1999)
- Simbaradzo (2000)
- Zvakanaka Zvakadaro (2001)
- Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya (2003)
- Vapupuri Pupurai (2005)
- Ndezvashe(2007)
- Zvinoda Kutendwa (2010)
- Kwatabva Mitunhu(kure kwekure)(2012)
- Tsoka Dzerwendo (2016)
- Dzinosvitsa Kure (2018)
- Tinosvitswa Nashe (2023)
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)
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Personal Life
Macheso’s parents, Hudson and Emilia Chisale, hailed from Malawi but eventually migrated to Mozambique in pursuit of a career in farming.
However, despite his father’s passion for music, Macheso’s mother’s family opposed their union and forbade her from marrying him.
Consequently, Macheso was given the name Alick Silva-Macheso, after his mother’s Mozambican surname.
After his mother remarried, Macheso spent his childhood at a farm in Shamva, located in the Mashonaland Central Province.
He has four half-brothers named Partson, Harrison, Mike, and Jones, as well as a sister named Hilda.
Macheso is currently married to Nyadzisai and they have five children together, consisting of four girls and a boy.
In 2011, Macheso took a second wife named Tafadzwa Mapako and they had two children, but unfortunately, they got divorced in 2014.
Divorce
In April 2014, Macheso ended his marriage with Tafadzwa Mapako, his second wife, whom he had been married to for four years and shared two children with.
As part of their divorce settlement, they reached an agreement where Macheso would pay Tafadzwa a weekly sum of US$200, as well as US$350 per month for rental expenses and an additional $100 for medical expenses.
It is worth noting that this was Tafadzwa’s third unsuccessful marriage, as her previous two marriages had also come to an end.
According to reports, Tafadzwa agreed to the divorce due to her allegations that Macheso had a peculiar way of treating their child’s fontanelle (nhova).
Leaked WhatsApp messages revealed that Macheso allegedly inserted his genitals into the child’s mouth as a form of treatment for the condition.
This was strongly opposed by Tafadzwa, leading to the breakdown of their marriage.
