Online Reporter
Tafadzwa Zimoyo in Birmingham, UK
NATIONAL Arts Council of Zimbabwe CEO Napoleon Nyanhi has endorsed the Grateful Concerts held by award-winning gospel singer Eleana Makombe.
Nyanhi was the guest of honour at the Grateful Concert 3.0 at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. The show attracted some of the country’s top gospel acts.
They include Minister Michael Mahendere, Blessing Jedthun, Takesure Zamar, Sharon and Ellard Cherayi, Everton Mlalazi and his team of Spirit of Praise.
Nyanhi praised Eleana Makombe for coming up with such an initiative which unites nations through music.
“I am very grateful and honoured to be here in the UK courtesy of Eleana Makombe and her husband John. I am happy with what we all witnessed which was displayed by all the artists.
“Wasn’t it wonderful?
“Gospel music has for over two decades been leading the charge and setting the standards and bar in Zimbabwe when it comes to music and arts development.
‘‘If you want to see the best vocalists in the country, you find them in church, if you want to see the best musicians or instrumentalists you see them at gospel concerts and if you want to see the concerts that have the best production, best pageantry, best stage designs, coordinations, you see that at gospel concerts.”
Nyanhi said the new and old gospel musicians have been making it happen for the past two years.
“We have got festivals and concerts like Janet Manyowa’s ANOT, Minister Michael Mahendere’s July Winter Festival, Everton Mlalazi hosts Ekhaya Worship Festival, and now the Grateful concert by Eleana Makombe, which has added the spark in the game.
“Not only is Eleana doing the Grateful concert but she is also the face behind the much-talked-about and loved new concert, Gospel Legends, which attracts yesteryear gospel artists. We would like to thank all these artists for evolving and developing the genre.”
He added: “We are now where Nigerian artists were 25 years ago because they were everywhere and moving to the diaspora. They got to a place where they occupied big posts, influential positions. “This is when they started to feed back home and that affected their arts industry significantly.
“They then launched Nollywood movies, Afrobeats, among others, and that was when they reached a certain level of success. I believe Zimbabweans are everywhere, and we are here now.
“I believe Zimbabweans in the diaspora can make that change and launch the arts significantly to impact the world. I call all artists in Zimbabwe, especially gospel artists, not to hold back. This is our time, let us push our culture and music and impact the world.”
