DRAWING inspiration from her own deprived experiences as a rural girl with an impoverished background, Mai Tanya is a budding gospel musician who sees floods of light in Zimbabwe’s future despite its seemingly insurmountable challenges.
By Wellington Zimbowa
It is a gospel of prosperity and restoration not hinged on magic but firmly anchored on enduring belief in God, says the 31-year-old musician, born Dadirai Mashirikidzo.
“I grew up in poverty in Mhondoro with my parents who relied on subsistence farming.
“Although I completed my secondary school education, it was an uphill task for my parents to achieve because the rains were not always good and there was a big family to take care of, hence my subdued performance at school. “So what Zimbabwe is going through as a nation will come to pass as God’s work is at play. I drew lessons from my own life experiences and the story of the Israelites who were delivered from bondage in Egypt to the promised land of abundance in Canaan,” says the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) member.
Her first offering, an eight-track album — Zuva ne Zuva — comes short of deceiving the audience as a product by a seasoned musician who has gone through the mill.
The composition of instruments is classic, the tone is steady but evoking, while the lyrics are sobering and laden with insightful messages, bringing forth a reinvigorated world outlook no matter one’s circumstances, while the leading voice is, but sweet melody to the listener’s ears.
The title track, Zuva ne Zuva, is the musician’s mature lesson that everyday has its own fair share of up and downs, inevitable experiences in the long journey of life and resulting from God’s plans, the creator of mankind whom she encourages people to stick to.
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Coming second is Ngoni Dzenyu, a heartfelt eulogy to God, from a staunch Christian’s perspective who sees every success in life as a result of His grace.
Tendai Kuna Mwari and Ndokutendai Nei are some of the hot tracks on the album that exhort people especially the Christian community to be thankful to God while the latter portrays the picture of a thankful person who is at a loss in expressing their gratitude to God’s invaluable hand in people’s lives.
Mai Tanya who runs a salon business in Harare said she funds her own project which took her one and half years to complete due to financial challenges and expressed gratitude to Pastor Mangwethsu and wife for their unwavering support.
She is the lead vocalist of a four-member band called Pison River. Mai Tanya has promised to release a video of the album. The album was produced by Danie Chilaz.
