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Langalakhe Mabena
Music promoter Mduduzi “Mdu” Mdlongwa who is the co-founder of promotions company 3D Events, believes that the Gospel music market in Bulawayo was “ripe” as he encourages churches to work together with promoters in making live shows a success.
Mdlongwa was speaking on the side lines of the launch of the Bulawayo Gospel Festival, which was headlined by South African Gospel sensation Ayanda Ntanzi at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Hall 3 on Africa Day.
Mdu, whose company was solely dedicated to doing world-music shows hosting a number of prolific local and international creatives, said that Bulawayo was a cosmopolitan community that consumes different kinds of music products. He said the Gospel fraternity has always been there in the city.
With the rise of numerous Pentecostal churches, as well as traditional churches who embrace the praising and worship of the Lord through different musical aspects, Gospel concerts have a potential to garner and attract more spectators. He also said that once local churches embrace and support such an idea, local Gospel artistes will find themselves flourishing as they will manage to make a living off their music.
“The Gospel market has always been there in Bulawayo, it’s just that few promoters specialised in that segment. The Bulawayo Gospel Festival is a testimony that people are able to attend Gospel events. Almost the majority of people in Bulawayo are Christians and they love Gospel music, which they only manage to listen to at their homes, phones and in their cars. Even though at church we sing praise and worship songs, it’s different because every Sunday we will be singing the same songs.
“This shows that there is a ripe market for Gospel lovers who need to go out and have fun just like what they did at the Bulawayo Gospel Concert. This is a market that promoters need to invest in so that they can feed different audiences in the musical market that we have in the city. However, I feel like for such initiatives to grow, we need to collaborate with churches that will encourage the congregations to grace the events despite church differences because we serve one God, therefore, our prayers will be answered if we fellowship together as one folk,” said Mdu.
The local Gospel music is starved. It needs more Gospel concerts, which will promote one communion amongst Christians. As such, an upcoming event by award-winning Gospel musician Janet Manyowa will unite Christians, through praise and worship as she will lead a star-studded line-up for the second edition of the Wanqoba concert.
Online Reporter