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They can release either a gospel, sungura, hip-hop, RnB, museve, mbaqanga, rock, or rhumba album. The list is as endless as the genres of music that are found in secular music. This move has been received with mixed feelings, with some fans and church leaders welcoming the move, while it has drawn the ire from some. They argue that God’s music should be different from secular music. On the other hand some fans say it is all about the message. Gospel concerts and even church praise and worship services have been synonymous with Alick Macheso’s borrowdale, the Congolese dance, ndombolo, ingwazi from South African kwaito and ivuma to mention but a few.
Saturday Leisure this week hit the streets to find out what Christians think of this trend that has been going on for years.
“I cannot feel as if I am in a bar when I am in church, there should be a distinct difference. People should know where these genres originated from and the spirit behind their creation was. It is like eating a rotten cake that has new icing. You cannot put Jesus here and there in a secular beat and expect to minister to people,” said Frank Ndlovu.
He said these were the signs of the last days, as people were taking secular standards and making them God’s standards.
“In the last days people would want to have a form of Godliness and deny its power thereof, as the Bible would say. These are the signs of the end times and we as Christians are busy entertaining people rather than ministering to them. That is why you find this confusion in the church,” said Ndlovu.
However, another gospel music fan Patience Madhawu said the message behind the song was the key.
“It is all about the message, not about the beat of the music. It is fine for one to dance borrowdale and the like, as long as you are dancing for the Lord,” said Madhawu.
She said there was nothing wrong in incorporating secular beats as this could lure youths to God.
Gospel musician Sebastian Magacha has been quoted in the media supporting this point for his upcoming album.
His colleague, South Africa-based Gordon Taurai Nzira, said gospel music was about the message not about the type of music.
He said the reason they switched was purely artistic and moving with the times.
“There is no particular beat that we can say is gospel. Gospel music has always been about the message than the kind of beat it is played on. Our reasons for playing sungura, hip hop or jazz are not commercial, but artistic,” said Nzira.
He said gospel music in Zimbabwe evolved from a slow paced genre of music to a fast paced one.
“In the 80s gospel music was associated with soft, sometimes even sorrowful sounding rhythms with a slow tempo. We later realised that God is to be praised and it is what he requires of us, to be jubilant, to dance to celebrate his creation and his love. Even King David danced to a point that his wife Michal complained,” said Nzira.
He said as musicians they should draw the line as they could get carried away when dancing to the music.
“We should of course draw the line and let God be the main influence of our artistic creativity. I do admit that people do get carried away and dance for their own gratification forgetting that it’s all about the Almighty,” said Nzira.
Pastor Witness Mzizi of Church Team Ministries International Bulawayo branch said the incorporation of secular beats was a way to appease people’s consciences.
He said these were the signs of the last days as people did not want what is of God but what was manufactured by men. “2 Timothy Chapter 3 verse 3 states, ‘For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears’. Verse four, ‘And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.’ Verse five, But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. Just because people want to make right something they know is wrong they will cover it with the word, “gospel”,” said Mzizi.
“You can have gospel house rhumba, kwaito and the like.”
He said some gospel songs had made it to the top not because of their message, but how the beat made people feel.
“People are just basically doing things to suit themselves. There is no reverence to God and even these so-called gospel songs have made it to number one,” said Mzizi.
He said it was folly to think of luring the youth using secular music that had a Jesus name attached to it.
“You cannot use secular music to bring the lost to God. You must use what is Godly to appeal to the heart of man not his flesh, which is gratified by any whim that comes. These songs are just engineered to appeal to the emotions of man and not to minister to the soul,” said Mzizi.
Online Reporter