adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s imbube music ambassadors, Black Umfolosi, have found God and want to record a gospel album that thanks the Almighty for all he has done for them over the years.Co-founder of the group Tomick Dube said the group was baptised in the United Kingdom while on tour last year.
“We are now born again Christians and we were baptised under the Unshakable Pentecostal Church in Birmingham on November 17 when we were on tour there. Here in Zimbabwe there is a branch of the church under the leadership of Bishop Sawasawa in Lobengula,” he said.
The imbube and mbaqanga music stalwart in March released his third solo gospel music album Ulungile Jesu as a follow-up to Ngena
Endlini (2006) and Moya Wami (2008)
Those albums however failed to excite the market.
Dube said the decision to change was done collectively as their tour in UK was unique.
“The trip to UK was unique and we were in unison when we made the decision to change. As of now we are concentrating on finishing the recording of our album Umhlaba that is about preserving mother nature,” he said.
Dube said the album that will be recorded at Diamond Studios in Harare will be released at the end of the month.
“The album is coinciding with World Environment Day that will be celebrated next month. We want to redo the track Unity as it was a track we did in the 80s, but now we want to bring it back to life and put a modern beat to it,” said Dube.
He said the group’s future plans were to tour Zimbabwe and Canada beginning in August.
“In August we are going to tour the country. This is because our local fans have complained that we are not holding shows locally yet we are well travelled internationally. The tours will begin in August in Zimbabwe and end in Canada in October,” said Dube.
He said the group was also looking forward to collaborating with Jeys Marabini, Sandra Ndebele and Cool Crooners.
derick.khumalo