It was simply a Macheso affair on Friday night!
Six is just a special number, no wonder why God created man on the sixth day.
On the night it was the time for delivery, not a baby, but a well packaged six-track album by the sungura maestro Alick Macheso.
It is now ripe or it has been long overdue to call Macheso the grandmaster of sungura music, he is simply majestic on his stuff.
Even the venue failed to handle him. It was simply too small or its Macheso who was just too big for it. Aquatic Complex was filled to the brim with hordes of people thronging to witness the album launch.
Even the back stage or VIP there were all fully packed. What separated the VIP from the rest of the crowd was just a boundary otherwise all sides were packed. Of course, the VIP had a bar section.
The sound quality was just slightly above average.
At 10pm Selmor Mtukudzi was on stage belting out her songs and those of her late father national hero Dr Oliver Mtukudzi including "Tozeza baba" which proved to be a favourite among the legion of fans.
She was so composed and in touch with the crowd and so did other artistes that performed after her including Baba Harare who was clad in a "Black Boots" like attire, Jah Master and Seh Calaz.
At 23.15pm Mashwede Holdings family was on stage. They simply wanted to celebrate with one of their own Baba Harare who hails from Masvingo province.
The family was on stage to sing, but in a different manner, with the blessings of the generous founder and director Alex Mashamhanda, the family gave Baba Harare US$10 000 cash on stage.
Shortly after, contemporary musician the "Hello Mwari" hitmaker was on stage followed by Andy Muridzo who cemented his status as one of the best contemporary artistes.
With only a few songs and his mbira antics he proved to be a cut above the rest as fans demanded him back on stage. There is also no doubt that curtain raisers raised the bar high with spirited efforts, but just mere supporters.
It all started at midnight, the moment people from all walks of life were waiting for including Macheso's longtime fanatic former Kaizer Chiefs player Willard Katsande who always graces his album launches.
Unlike Jesus Christ whom people are still eagerly waiting for 2 022 years after his death, Macheso arrived on stage clad in a grey suit. It was time for merry making as he cut his cakes donated by fans.
Macheso was a year older, 54 years.
His first name "Alick" simply means defender. That is what he did on both Thursday and Friday nights to defend his title as the sungura maestro.
He belted his six track album at ease with fans singing along with him. It was a splendid moment for Macheso as his efforts did not go in vain.
Apart from being a sungura maestro there is something special about Macheso. He is a good mentor.
That was evident when he introduced his sons Tatenda and Esau on stage. Just like the father they proved to be a powerful force to reckon with.
While it's true that a stream can never rise above its source Tatenda without any doubt proved that indeed it can be widened and deepened. Not taking away anything from Esau, he is a good guitarist.
But Tatenda was centre of attraction. His body, face and even the haircut one can mistaken him for his father.
They exactly look alike and it seems as if the talent is also similar, but Tatenda who was perfectly dressed in a blue suit seems to be perfecting his skills well through learning from the best.
For some it may be too early to judge him or even compare him with his father, but he seems not only to be in the right direction, but heading there with a clear motive of maintaining the Macheso legacy.
He sang his father's yesteryears songs smoothly while the father was backing him.
When Tatenda sang the line "kana zvakadaro masimba acho . . ." fans were enthralled. The cheer from the crowd was clear evidence that he gained the hearts of many at first sight.
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Dancing prowess, Tatenda did not leave anything to chance he is just as good as his father. He literally stole the limelight from his father. His performance sealed the album launch in style.
No offence, the security team was sleeping on duty.
At some point Macheso had to call it on stage to remove some fans that had interrupted cables.
As that is not enough a fist fight nearly ensued with one of the events director Ola 7 being pushed right on the stage when Macheso was playing.
At exactly 3am the lights were switched off and Macheso left the stage with his band members.
It took about 30 minutes for fans to disperse, but they did so in an orderly manner.
Thumbs up to the Zimbabwe Republic Police they handled the situation calmly.
