Brush with law inspires US-based group

the gospel through music.
One particular gospel group that has been tested by numerous problems but did not give up is United States-based Innovators.
After starting off with five members in 2007, the group has over the years lost its key members who left to pursue their education in the United States and in Zimbabwe.

Among members who left the group but are still listed as part of the Innovators family are Malvern Munjoma and Charles Jijita, who left the group during its formative stages, while Marvelous Nhubu and Leopold Chipatiso also parted ways with Innovators. The exodus continued to hit Innovators, a situation which saw two additional members, namely Michael Tonderai Sithole and Knowledge Radyo, leaving the group this year in June to pursue their studies in the United States leaving Innovators with only two members.

While trying to regroup it seems the worst was still to come for Innovators after an unexpected mishap almost destroyed the group, which now comprised Dzago Chatsama and Tatenda Sithole.
According to information on the group’s website, the duo had a brush with the United States immigration authorities and faced deportation for entering the country without permits.

In narrating his ordeal on the group’s website, Chatsama — who is the founder of Innovators — said he and Tatenda were thrown into a police detention facility for illegal immigrants for two weeks after their visas expired in April this year.
Dzago said their ordeal started after their immigration lawyer failed to file papers to change their visa status from ordinary to performer’s visas in order to help them perform in America and abroad without hindrance.

Despite this, Dzago and Tatenda continued with their music shows after getting assurances from their lawyer that their visas were already being processed by the immigration authorities.

Luck, however, ran out for the duo when they were picked up and thrown into police detention after failing to produce legal documentation to immigration authorities while on their way from shooting a video of their hit song “Jesus is Number One”.
“I could not believe my eyes when I saw my hands in handcuffs, and I asked God, all this for singing for you,” wrote Sithole on Innovators website.

When asked by this writer about their treatment in police detention, Dzago said apart from staying in police detention for two weeks which was an unusual experience for them coupled with language-related problems with prison officers and other prisoners who all spoke Spanish, their treatment had been generally good.

“Everyone else spoke Spanish, from the prison officers to the inmates, so we communicated to them through sign language. We spent most of our time on our Bibles, because we believed that is what God wanted us to hear from him,” said Dzago.
After only two weeks behind bars Dzago and Sithole were greeted with good news when they were informed that their visa application had been approved.
According to Dzago the period during which their visas were processed showed evidence of a miracle from God since in similar circumstances processing of visas

took long and if rejected, which was highly likely for inmates declared to be illegal immigrants, one faced deportation.

“I am now crazy for God and have received God’s full calling that I must be in music ministry and all things shall be added unto me,” said wrote Tatenda.
Despite being the only two members left in the group, Dzago and his Innovators are now much stronger than before. Dzago says Innovators are due to record an album next month which will be a by-product of the inspiration they received during their time in prison where they witnessed the power of God.

“Our prison experience gave us a testimony to talk about and it also inspired our forthcoming album which will be recorded in September this year.
“This album will be followed by a DVD album which will also be coming out soon. We are also working on coming home for the Christmas holidays in December to do some shows there,” said Dzago.