Rev Chivaviro honoured in the UK

Tanaka Mahanya

UNITED Kingdom-based gospel musician, Reverend Togarepi Chivaviro, is celebrating releasing 20 albums, which is a milestone, in his musical career.

The celebrations were held in Manchester, with Zimbabweans from Luton, Sheffield and Leeds gracing the event.

The Zimbabwe Leeds Community (ZLC) was also invited to the event to celebrate the 20 albums produced in a journey which started in 1999.

ZLC chairman, Chris Goshomi, said:

“People came to interact and embrace the culture and tradition, building a home away from home.

“This is a huge milestone for the gospel artist.

“We really want to build strong communities here, where we can support each other, away from home.”

He said music has always brought families together.

“His music reminds us of where we come from and what the country means to us.

“Most people in the diaspora suffer from mental health issues because we were separated from our families, so we need to meet and interact,” he said.

Rev Chivaviro is a full-time chaplain and works in the health sector in the UK.

ZLC youth champion, Edmund Gore, and the youth chair Ian Guzette, are some of the youngsters learning from Reverend Chivaviro’s work.