ONLY he who wears the shoe can best tell where it pinches and knows best to wear or not to wear it, argues Afro-Jazz prodigy, Maccalington ‘Macc’ Mutunda in his derby single. The new entry into the Afro-Jazz arena who hails from Mabvuku-Tafara in Harare is a man who has travelled and knows exactly what his country has to offer and most importantly what he wants. As BBC’s HARDtalk, Stephen Sackur story about the untold ‘suffering’ in Zimbabwe is beamed and rebroadcast across the world, Macc as the musician is affectionately known, has released his own story through song “There comes a time when we must take back our narrative, not just tell, but take it back and silence the megaphones that purport to speak on our behalf,” said the lanky musician who fronts the Black Stars. For example, Sackur who is domiciled some 5 000 miles away from Zimbabwe, has had the temerity to speak ‘authoritatively’ on the prevailing situation in the country. Sackur who was obviously cushioned by a large travel and subsistence stipend and probably a huge ‘risk’ allowance for foraging into ‘dangerous’ Africa reports of ‘prevailing’ ‘grimness’ in Zimbabwe. However, as we celebrate Africa Day (May 25), this pre-conceived message scripted in the ‘comfort’ of the BBC newsroom is aptly responded to by the new jazz sensation. The debut single, titled ‘Sara-Tinosvika Chete’, heralds the mission of the ambitious artist and is a clear message. His is a stirring voice of simple faith and conviction. The song is a story of an individual that has seen it all and has made up his mind directed by facts and the reality around. It is the tale of an individual, more like the prodigal son who at a moment of revelation realises that home is best and nothing can stop him from going back. “Sara iwe sara hako kana uchida kusara. Ndoenda kwedu kuZimbabwe…varume ndisiyei ndiende… kwedu kumusha. Hakuna nhapwa…ndoenda kwedu kwatinofamba takasununguka, kwatinodya tichiguta,” sings Macc in a voice dripping with the emotion of one vanquished and in anguish in a foreign land. To the musician, Zimbabwe is home and there can never be any other. “I am an upcoming musician who is still to cover ground, but my music has a definite path that it will take,” Macc said. “I am first and foremost a Zimbabwean artiste and we strive to show and not hide it, my music is a sound and message of faith, hope and the strengthening of belief in ourselves.” Without a distinct sound that can be attributed to any of the established artistes in the genre, Macc is banking on originality to make a breakthrough in the cutthroat industry. “While it is tempting to ‘copy’ the already famous to capture attention of the market, we have discovered it is not prudent as we are in the industry for the long haul,” said Macc who draws inspiration from the likes of Jah Prayzah. “We do not want to be a fly-by-night outfit that will soon be forgotten. “Jah Prayzah is today a household name, but it was not like that initially, he struggled before he acquired fame.” What Macc is expressing in the five-minute long single is the never-say-die attitude that has become synonymous with Zimbabweans, which is tempered by a deep knowledge and appreciation of what the country has to offer. Contrary to Sackur sources that can be seen boarding luxurious expensive coaches to go and ‘look for work’ in South Africa and some ‘wallowing in poverty’ while running a brick-making business, Macc highlights the beauty and benefits of home. Macc describes how it is only in his country that he can freely be and be accepted. The song is definitely another alternative to Sackur’s BBC story, one told by a Zimbabwean from a Zimbabwean perspective.