Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]
ASK any artistic personnel what they want to achieve with their craft and one of the responses will have something to do with exposure.
That’s the case with Binga-born gospel singer, Wa-Chulwa (real name Elison Mudenda) who is finding it tough to perform his music live due to a lack of musical instruments.
Performing with a live band requires adequate instruments and Wa-Chulwa’s lacking is getting in the way of him living his life-long dream, that of spreading glad tidings through songs in front of a crowd.
“From a tender age, growing up in Sinansengwe, my dream has always been to be a musician spreading the gospel and performing in front of crowds. But unfortunately, that has not been the case. This is because I haven’t been able to stage even a single show since I don’t have personal musical instruments.
“I need a donation/sponsorship for the equipment,” he said.
The leader of the Voice of Live singers is in need of a full kit of musical instruments for a full band. This includes two guitars (lead and bass), one keyboard, a drum set, two top speakers, two bass bins, two monitors, one amplifier, one sound mixer, and seven microphones to fully execute his musical duties.
The keyboard player’s discography includes two albums, “Eli Zina” and “Nyika ino”. Wa-Chulwa understood the adage, “Catch them young” and he is doing just that with his 10-year-old talented daughter, Gracious Sallie Mudenda who he has roped in. The pair recorded a single titled, “Njila mumoyo” last year.
“My daughter is really gifted and music is in her blood, so working with her is so simple and easy. I’m just preparing to register her under the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association,” he shared.
Poke the Mudendas and you will see that they bleed music. This is because, complementary to his daughter singing, Mudenda’s wife Grace and aunt, Sithandazile Mudenda are part of his band as well.
He has had his songs recorded, mixed, and mastered at Danmag Studios in Bulawayo and at Tap Studios in Harare with Tapiwa Njonjonjo overseeing production. Mudenda is upbeat about soon receiving sponsorship with the hope of spreading the gospel.
His love for the gospel and God prompted Wa-Chulwa to establish the Cornerstone Fellowship International Church in 2018 in Binga Centre where he resides. — @MbuleloMpofu
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