Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A FEW months ago, 12-year-old Andrea from Victoria Falls was at a Twelve Apostles Church service in Monde when he and four other boys bunked the church service to go and gather wild umkojompo fruits, a few hundred metres from the homestead where the service was being held.
When they returned, the pastor in charge of the day’s proceedings decided to punish the five boys by making each of them sing in front of the congregation.
Little did the pastor know that his punishment was going to be a blessing in disguise for Andrea because when it was his turn to sing, the whole crowd was moved by the song. Someone captured the video of the performance which was to go viral on TikTok.
It caught the attention of the local music industry and some in South Africa where Afro-Soul musician Aubrey Qwana quickly modified the song which has become a hit on online music platforms.
Qwana reached out to the boy for partnership and the two are set to record songs together.
South Africa-based Zimbabwean producer Tendai Joe of J Bros Entertainment also offered to manage Andrea to make sure he develops his music talent.
Back home, well-wishers are queuing offering to help Andrea who is now known as Andrea the Vocalist to help him realise his dream.
The boy is doing Grade Seven at Chinotimba Primary School and his ambition is to become a lawyer.
His parents have been struggling to pay school fees for him and he owed about $5 000 in unpaid tuition. This could be a thing of the past as the boy seems to have opened his own doors in life.
Victoria Falls-based prophet Musawenkosi Vundla, popularly known as Ithwasa Lodumo has cleared the school fees arrears for him and offered to cater for his Form One first term at any school of the boy’s choice.
Prophet Vundla who made waves a few months ago by embracing the new normal during Covid-19 where his clients could send him a picture on WhatsApp and get diagnosed handed the money to Andrea’s father, Ntando Sibanda during the week.
“When I saw the song and heard about the boy, I felt we needed to support him. All we want is that while he develops his music talent, he doesn’t stop going to school. So I’ve offered to clear all his arrears at school so that he concentrates on passing his Grade Seven without worrying about school fees.
“I’m also going to pay school fees and all enrolment expenses including uniform and stationery for his Form One first term,” said prophet Vundla as he handed money to Sibanda at the film house in Mkhosana.
Andrea is in the school choir and also one of the trusted singers at the Twelve Apostles Church.
“I’m in the school choir, but the teacher in charge of music left so we were no longer singing.”
Reflecting on the day that changed his life, Andrea said: “We had gone to Monde for a church service when I and my friends went to relieve ourselves but ended up eating umkojompo. When we returned, the pastor punished us and made us sing.
“When I sang, I didn’t know that someone was recording a video that eventually went viral. The punishment was not painful for me because I loved music and could sing so when I later saw the video, I just laughed.”
He said he has two gospel songs that he wants to record. The songs were written by some church members.
With people at heart, Andrea said he wants to be able to assist people through composing music that has the power to heal and cheer.
“I want to be able to write my own songs and want the music to be that that makes people happy.
I also want to be a lawyer and be able to represent people who’re in trouble with the law so that they live happy lives,” said Andrea.
If he plays his cards right and gets the necessary support, Andrea’s script could read like that of South Africa’s Nkosinathi Zwane, popularly known as Mzambiya/Zikode who at the tender age of 12 years, became the youngest kwaito artist in 2000 with the song Mele Senzeni. To date, he is one of the country’s renowned singers.
Following Andrea’s overnight popularity, his father said some people had attempted to extort money from Qwana claiming that they knew Andrea and could link him up after the South African artist asked his fans on social media to help him locate the boy.
Andrea was finally located in Victoria Falls last month.
Sibanda said his son, a second-born among four children, started singing at the age of five.
“He sings well in church and we can say he takes after us, his parents because we also sing. When we sing in church we do it for God, but people saw talent and opportunity for Andrea.
“We want to thank all those that have helped, especially Prophet Vundla for the kind gesture of settling his school fees arrears,” said Sibanda.
If anything, Andrea has put Victoria Falls in the world of music as Qwana acknowledged the boy as the originator of the song, Uhambo. The song is not new to Twelve Apostles Church members, but new to the outside world. – @ncubeleon
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