Gospel musician Shumba salutes Dhewa

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Rising gospel musician Blessing Shumba says he was inspired by the late Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo.

Rising gospel musician Blessing Shumba says he was inspired by the late Tongai “Dhewa” Moyo.

REPORT BY TAWANDA MARWIZI

In an interview recently, Shumba said he was touched by the way Dhewa composed his songs, especially when he sang about social issues. “I was a pastor and engineer with no intention of venturing into music, but I was inspired by Dhewa’s way of approaching social issues,” said Shumba.

The Mutare-based gospel musician said Dhewa’s song titled Musarove Vana was enough to inspire him to venture into music. “Though he was not a gospel singer, that song was from the bible and the way he wrote his lyrics were exceptional,” he said.

The Mufaro hitmaker said he first met Dhewa in Mutare in FBC Bank in 2002 and was surprised by the way the musician behaved. “The guard in the bank spotted him and told him to go straight to the teller but he refused saying he respected people who were in front of him,” said Shumba.

“From that time, I told myself that I had to venture into music spreading the word of God and from that time I began to communicate with him and he gave me confidence,” he added.

He urged fellow artists and Zimbabweans to rally behind Dhewa’s son Peter, so that the musician’s legacy would continue. Shumba has hogged the limelight with two albums NdiMwari and Ishe Wazvose and recently released a nine-track album titled Shongwe which is doing well on the local market.

Meanwhile, the musician will on Saturday share the stage with Shingisai Suluma at the Harare International Conference Centre at a show that will also feature Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave.