A gospel artiste, Dorcas Moyo, has dropped a 10-track album, titled Zvininipise, courtesy of Kunashe Studios in Mutare. This is her third effort after Ndokusheedzai Jesu (2008) and Ndinokutungamirira (2010).
By Conelia Mabasa
Speaking about what inspired her to pursue gospel music, Moyo says: “I am a born-worshipper and I serve the Lord in the Apostolic Faith Mission church as a praise and worship leader both at assembly and provincial level.”
For someone who first joined her first praise team at six years of age, she lives to worship the Lord and she says listening to other gospel musicians’ works, especially Blessing Shumba, pushed her to want to record and immortalise her talent.
She draws from personal experiences to write some of her lyrics with the hope that people do not get stuck in their situations as God is always there and ready to help. After struggling to come to terms with the death of her father, she wrote Chirevo as a way of dealing with the pain and to accept that nobody can escape that last call. It is a song that helped her to heal.
“I wrote the first track Zvininipise for myself. In life we go through difficult, hard and painful moments but if you humble yourself, then God will see you through. And I wrote Chirevo after the death of my father,” she said.
While her band is Heavenly Melodies, she also leads Harare Celebrations Choir, an interdenomination group of worshippers. She is also making a call to those gifted with voices to come join the Celebrations Choir as it is still alive.
Besides her family and Reverend and Amai Muhamba, she also pays tribute to Patrick Nyanzenza (the engineer, for his patience), Hazvineyi Chifamba, Marshal Mukodza, Kudzai Mhlanga, Tinashe Mavuka and Zivai Manjengwa.
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Listening to the album, I found it to be worthwhile and it definitely speaks to the heart to address personal situations in a Godly way. Moyo starts off by giving a message of hope in the title track, Zvininipise, which features gospel lovers’ darling from the Eastern Highlands, Shumba. The message, extracted from Matthew 6 v 28-31, says the Lord is the provider for those who humble themselves before His throne of grace in the same way he provides for wild birds that do not plant or harvest, yet live. Shumba says the Lord has a lighter yoke, so we should not feel burdened, but give it all to the Lord.
Kufanana Nemi is a chorus in which Moyo implores God to extend his blessing, grace and mercies to us. It is a beautiful melody on which a male voice interjects to bring out a rich worship song with a message that only God can remould us to be like him. She prays that the mercies He extends to other people may also reach us. His grace is sufficient and who would not want to be covered by it?
Danceable Atamanike — a praise song with a rhumba feel— is in Nyanja. Is it the singer’s own language, by her own admission, and a tribute to her heritage? She promotes her language by exhorting people to give praises to the Lord, the most high.
In Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37), she pushes the faith by encouraging each one of us to speak to individual challenges. The message is: it is possible to get a new lease of life, to change the course or swim against the tide when we have enough faith.
There is also a sprinkling of hymns for those who want to go by the book.
Kunashe Studios, owned by Olin Anderson, is marketing the album. Moyo says she is following up with videos soon.
