Published by the government of Zimbabwe
21 June 2008
Harare — Farai Pio Macheka, the forgotten Chimurenga musician, is planning a comeback and has recruited some of the surviving members of the Black Eagles Band to beef up his backing group - The Black Ites.
Pio, as he is affectionately known in music circles, has since begun rehearsing with the songsmiths groomed and weaned by the late jit maestro Robson Banda. Leonard Mapako Chizengeni, one of Black Eagles' long-serving members confirmed the "merger" this week.
He added that a local promoter had a hand in the deal upon realising that the two groups were losing relevance on the local music scene. Chizengeni, who is now the spokesperson in the new set-up, said the new-look band would be holding shows under the leadership of Pio. "We have since joined forces with Pio. We are going to work together. It's only that you came a bit late but we have been holding some rehearsals in this studio (Sunrise Studios) two hours ago. "There is a promoter we are working with and he advised us to work together since we are also big artistes who despite keeping a low profile have lots of potential.
"As for us (Black Eagles) we are a brand name on our own. As for Pio, he needs no introduction although his biggest let down of late had been his failure to hold more shows on his own," he said. Chizengeni said the merger was also special for the two sets of artistes since they are experienced people in the profession. "We also felt that as experienced people we can still join forces and do something tangible. "The deal will also see us holding more shows together and possibly recording an album together," he said. On the other hand, Pio said he was elated to have joined hands with the Black Eagles Band since they are polished performers. "Black Eagles and Black Ites are two big bands that have been in existence for years. But, the going had been tough for us in recent years not because we were not good.
"Chizengeni's promoter approached me and we felt it was noble that we work together. We have been holding a series of shows together and the guys (Black Eagles) are just good in all departments," he said.
Pio said there were also plans for the new-look group to record a number of albums together while a regional tour was also on cards.
"This affair means a lot to me. We have also planned a series of shows since we are now one family. We are also going to record together. For me, going into the studio with a star-studded outfit is something I have always cherished over the year," he added. Pio has not been consistent despite being a gifted artiste in this particular genre.
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