Multi-award winning gospel artist, Reverend Togarepi Chivaviro’s wife, Juliet, apart from being an inspiration and pillar of support in her husband’s career in music, has gone the extra mile, deciding to mentor upcoming Zimbabwean musicians from her base in South Africa.
By The Master
She is aiming to spread her wings to Zimbabwe and abroad by engaging in an upliftment programme meant to inspire young musicians.
She said her efforts have attracted the attention of Primary and Secondary Education minister Paul Mavhima, who showed interest to support the programme by encouraging the young artists to engage in social services as a way to help the community.
“We want to encourage the young artists to do social services, which Mavhima mentioned at a function where we donated books and school fees to the Ministry of Education. He said that it’s ‘social capital’ where all artists can join in and help the community, so we want to motivate artists to also give back to society. We will engage him to talk to our mentorship group and encourage them, though it may not be direct,” said Juliet.
This week, I have decided to focus on the profiles and testimonies of some of these young men and women who are part of this mentorship programme:
Caroline Muzambi, Germiston, AFM
I began singing for the praise and worship team and Sunday school at AFM church when I was nine years old.
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I started composing songs at 13. At times, I would dream of some songs from that age up to now. I was in Marondera by then.
I came to Harare and found Mr Takawira, the former manager for Ngaavongwe. He connected me to some artists like Pastor Haisa, Nathaniel Ncube, Phaphani Wanyaza, Alexandra Zinyongo. I started working with those musicians.
I thank God that the doors are now opening for me and as I am speaking, I am starting to arrange a band and in January I will begin my recordings.
Dorcas Mugijima
I started music way back when I was very young at AFM church in Murewa and joined the praise team when I was 12 years old.
From there, I never stopped singing and many call me Mai Charamba because of how I sing and my facial looks.
My parents, other members of the family and friends are very supportive. I continued singing in the praise team, even after I got married and our leaders would pray for my career and I felt that I had to record until one day when God spoke to me in dreams, saying “I want your voice to be heard, not only in Zimbabwe but the rest of Africa”.
I began to feel confined and on October 1 2015, the Lord’s Word came to pass as I recorded my first album titled Pasirino Idandaro and on September 26 2017 my latest album was out titled Mutsvene. The biggest challenge is marketing, but I thank God for hearing my prayers as well as Reverend Chivaviro and Mai Chivaviro for mentoring me.
Phyllis Nyasha Motsi (Mapingure), Pretoria
I started singing at Sunday school as well as doing my songs with my cousins from Grade 4. I was in the school choir at primary and high school. I then joined Chitungwiza Harmony Singers in 2006.
In 2007, I relocated to Pretoria, South Africa and in 2009, God led me to meet His servants Apostle and Baba Chivaviro in Germiston. I am also in the praise and worship team at my local assembly. I have recorded two singles so far and this coming year God will help me to record more albums. I am also a song writer.
Hardie Mlambo, Rustenburg
I’m Hardie (Calvin) Mlambo. My testimony is not that long because I did not grow up singing in church because the church I used to attend did not have a praise and worship team. The congregants would only sing when they met at church. But at school I was in the choir, together with my wife but we did not think that one day we would end up as gospel musicians.
Minister Tinashe Maphosa
I was born in March 1992. I started singing in the choir in 2007 and recorded an album titled Destined For Victory with a friend in 2010. Ndotenda Baba, which is my first solo album was recorded in February this year with the help of a few friends. I am a member of the AFM Durban assembly and leader of the praise and worship team. Juliet has also teamed up with other wives of top musicians in Zimbabwe, Daisy Mtukudzi and Hellenah Manyeruke to produce a prayerful gospel single titled Pindai Jesu, whose message is aimed at protecting women from falling prey to the growing number of fake prophets bent on abusing them.
l You may contact the columnist, Albert Masaka on Email: [email protected]
