1/ In 1997, Khiama Boys collapsed. Nicholas Zakaria shut him out. He had no instruments, no money — only hunger. This is how he went from nothing to mega superstar.
2/ Macheso had nothing. No band. No shows. But he had fire. So every morning at 4 or 5am, he walked to Madzibaba’s house — hoping to borrow Khiama Boys’ guitars and amps just to rehearse. Day after day. Week after week.
3/ Each dawn, Macheso would arrive at 4am — and wait for hours. Eventually, Zakaria would open the window, utter a word or two to dismiss him — then shut it again. The man who once mentored him now denied him an audience — or even a guitar. Macheso kept coming back. Desperate. Hungry. Determined.
4/ One morning, a nurse who lived nearby stopped him. She had watched this ritual for days. “My son… can’t you see he doesn’t want to help you? Why don’t you make an alternative plan.” It was a mercy — and a warning.
5/ So Macheso turned to producer Bothwell Nyamhondera for help. Nyamhondera secured a $2 000 loan from Grammar Records so Macheso could hire instruments and rehearse with four other musicians. Those musicians became Orchestra Mberikwazvo.
6/ But when they reached the studio, everything collapsed. The four band members who’d promised to record for royalties suddenly demanded Z$2 000 each upfront — months of wages. That was Z$8 000. Macheso had nothing. Failure loomed.
7/ Nyamhondera stepped in again. He personally guaranteed another Grammar Records loan, staking his own producer royalties if the album failed. The album — Magariro — became a hit. Macheso repaid the Z$10 000 and proved he could stand alone.
8/ His second album, Simbaradzo, was recorded the same way — all the risk on Macheso, all the money upfront to the band. It became one of Zimbabwe’s best-selling albums ever. Then the band demanded royalties — but they’d signed them away. They walked. He stayed.
9/ Nyamhondera says: “He went through hell.” Macheso would walk from Chitungwiza to Harare and back, saving his bus fare to buy food for his family. He walked until his feet swelled. And still, he rose.
10/ From begging at a Zakaria’s closed window, to staking borrowed money he didn’t have, to walking barefoot and swollen-footed for his music — Alick Macheso walked from the gate to the throne. This is how he became the King of Sungura.
