Tryson Chimbetu is the real Dendera Music Heir - Alick Macheso

Tryson Chimbetu

Alick Macheso has picked Tryson Chimbetu as the heir apparent to the Dendera genre in a move that is likely to invite a backlash from musicians Sulumani, Allan and Douglas Chimbetu.

Macheso described Tryson as “svikiro reDendera” (Dendera master), while urging the family to unite. “Tryson is very talented and that is where the real Dendera is. He has maintained the Dendera flair,” said Macheso.

“The family should unite and support each other. Their departed parents should be turning in their graves because of the disagreements between the siblings.”

Macheso’s utterances came after reports of a feud between Sulumani and Tryson. It is believed Tryson was the first to throw the punches at his brother with an album that many say was targeted at Sulumani.

The title of Tryson’s album, Ballon’dor Victory is in itself provocative as he claims to have the crown for the best Dendera singer.

The first song on the album titled Tryson makes some suggestive comments, saying he dreamt of himself talking to the founders of Dendera — the late Simon and Naison Chimbetu — telling him that he was the rightful heir of the genre.

In another song, Isa Moto, the boastful singer went on to say that there are close relatives who are jealous of him, unrepentantly reiterating he is the one with the “relay baton”.

Tryson is believed to be vastly talented but lacks public appeal as compared to Sulumani, who has proved to be the darling of many. Meanwhile, Macheso has sensationally claimed that his last album — Kwatakabva Mitunhu — was sabotaged by journalists who were paid to trash the album.

Coming short of naming the reporters, the Madhawu hitmaker said there was an operation code-named PHD (Pull Him Down) which was orchestrated by certain musicians who paid journalists to write “rubbish” about his album. 

“My last album was not bad at all but there were some musicians who paid journalists to write bad things about the album,” he said. “There were a series of stories that were meant to denigrate me and the album. It was not a bad album at all.”

However, Macheso’s sentiments contradicted what he said on February 1 2014 when he publicly acknowledged that Sulumani Chimbetu’s Sean Timba was better than his hit song Macharangwanda off his last album.

At the time, Macheso said he was shocked to hear that his song had topped the charts, saying he never thought that the song would be a hit.

“I strongly feel that the song Sean Timba was more popular and better than Macharangwanda. I do not know how people voted, but I would like to thank my fans for the support they have shown over the years,” said Macheso.

Source-Standard