Amai Charamba steps on pulpit

 

Amai Charamba, as she is popularly known in the music industry, broke into the industry around 1998 with her first musical project Amai Charamba and Friends.

A Saturday Leisure news crew recently caught up with the gospel diva who was happy to share her achievements with the readers.

In an interview, Amai Charamba said she was now a qualified pastor as she recently attained a Diploma in Theology.

“Baba Charamba is my source of inspiration and last year I managed to complete my Diploma in Theology.

“This then automatically means that I am now a qualified pastor,” she said.

Even if the gospel diva is now a qualified pastor, she is not yet practising.

“We actually asked from our church superiors to pardon us on the issue of practising as pastors.

“For now we are still working on our musical advancement academically,” she said.

Amai Charamba said she decided to become a pastor because she believed God chose her to minister his word.

“I believe that God prepared me for the job that he gave me as you know that I have been ministering through music.

“So I decided to advance my biblical understanding by going through diploma training on Theology,” she said.

The musician told Saturday Leisure that her passion for music was something that came from within.

“The family that I grew up in was more into music as we were members of the Salvation Army.

“So music became a part of me as I became part of the church choir,” she said.

Amai Charamba said while in the church choir she became one of the best lead vocalists as she had a powerful voice.

“I actually discovered that I was a talented singer in the 1980s as I was a member of the church choir.

“A lot of people in church used to tell me that I should take music as a career as they believed that I had the voice,” she said.

“I used to enjoy listening to Hosanna music that was more of praise and worship kind of music.

“This genre inspired me to an extent of singing songs that had been recorded by other musicians,” she said.

Amai Charamba said while in the church choir she got an opportunity to be exposed to musical instruments.

“I developed a passion for playing instruments like any other musician.

“During that time I learnt to play a guitar while singing my own compositions,” she said.

Amai Charamba said in 1995 she moved to join the Apostolic Faith Mission and that is where she met her husband.

“When I got to AFM in 1995 I was inspired by Baba Charamba as he played original music live on stage.

“He actually played his own compositions and that was new to me by that time,” she said.

Amai Charamba said while at AFM she was given an opportunity to perform with the choir.

“At AFM I met people whom we shared the same vision of becoming musicians one day.

“This actually made me feel at home as we actually started building each other,” she said.

The gospel diva said her performance on stage actually appealed even to Baba Charles Charamba who later invited her as a backing vocalist.

“When I went to join AFM, Baba Charles Charamba had already recorded his first seven (inch) single with Fishers of Men,” she said.

Amai Charamba said at first it was challenging for her to adjust to the level of the group.

“I actually felt nervous like any other person but with time I got used to the whole system,” she said.

The gospel diva said she later fell in love with her husband, as he was a God-fearing man.

“With time I later discovered that I was meant to be with Baba Charles Charamba so we got married like any other couple,” she said.

The musician said Baba Charamba realised that she had talent and gave her some songs to record.

“I actually invited my best friends Tariro Muringa and Siphiwe Murerwa to record Amai Charamba and Friends,” she said.

The musician said she got overwhelming support from gospel fans that were blessed by the album.

“I can safely say I never experienced the challenges of being an up-and-coming musician.

“I just made the grade with my first album and since then we have been working hard,” she said.