admina unique style of music that captures of the hearts of both the young old.
For Shower Power the journey to fame began in 1992 after two young men, Venus Khumalo and Simba Nyawiri who shared a passion for music, came together to form an acapella group that would minister to different people through song.
Nqobile Ncube, Brian Ncube, Tidings Chaitezvi, Munyaradzi Nyawiri and Charles Madembo later joined in giving impetus to Shower Power’s music ministry.
Between 1992 and 1994 Shower Power was able to record two albums, namely “Shower Power Experience” and “Time has run out”.
Although it met with a lukewarm reception from Zimbabweans, who during that time were mainly exposed to music with instruments, their fortunes soon changed after more people from the Seventh-Day Adventist
Church began to demand more of their music in their different churches.
The group’s music received more acceptance than before among Zimbabweans after their songs were accorded more airplay on national radio.
This was soon followed by numerous invitations to perform in various parts of the country and abroad, key among them being their invitation to perform at the General Conference of the Seventh-Day which was,
attended by leaders of churches from 202 countries.
According to the group’s executive director, Mr Kudzi Sithole, Shower Power sang in different Seventh-Day Adventist churches and several other interdenominational events before travelling to such countries as
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Malawi and the United States of America.
“We sang in different Seventh Day Adventist Churches and other churches. We also featured in several other high-profile events among them Hifa, Donnie McClurkin’s show and The Celebration Centre,” said Mr Sithole.
Today, Shower Power has ministered the word of God in a very powerful way through music.
Their other albums include “Shower Power Experience”, “Time Has Run Out”, “Spirit of God”, “Today”, “Holy Life” and “Shower Power Hymns”.
“We are receiving amazing feedback from people who listen to our music. At one instance a guy who was HIV positive and was contemplating suicide said our music had blessed him so much adding he had
renewed hope in his life after God touched his life,” said Mr Sithole.
Despite the successes of this group, Shower Power faced numerous challenges, which date back to 1997 when two of its founding members, Venus Khumalo and Simba Nyawiri, left the group for the Diaspora.
After releasing their album “Today” in 2004, Shower Power was hit by another exodus of key members – Abishai Madakiwe, Rodney Dube and Thabo Mlotshwa.
In 2005, Shower Power toured the US only to return with only two members of their group, namely Mandikudza Sithole and Jeremiah Janda who remained with the group to continue its music ministry.
Other challenges included poor financial returns in the local market, which prompted the group to concentrate more on shows outside the country.
Music piracy was also one challenge that drained potential income from CD sales for Shower Power.
“We have received a good response to our music among our fans but these do not always translate into financial returns. Occasionally, we have had to use our own resources to support our music ministry.
“Piracy is mainly to blame for the weak sales for our CDs,” said Mr Sithole.
Mr Sithole added that Government needed to be more involved in music by stopping the sale of copied music and putting more controls on the sale of blank CDs,to reduce piracy.
He also said that if the informal sector is destroyed and if less production houses are licensed to operate and monitored, piracy would be controlled to a greater extent.
Despite its problems, Shower Power stands as one of the acapella gospel groups that look set to continue touching lives of many people in and outside Zimbabwe.
Mr Sithole said Shower Power will this year record two albums, namely “‘Journey of Shower Power” and “The Best of Shower Power” as part of its 20th anniversary in the music ministry.
Currently, group members of Shower Power include Jeremiah Janda, who sings first and second tenor; Tinovimba Ndiraya, second tenor; Donovan Gumbo, bass; Innocent Kadyautambe, tenor; Ngonidzashe
Gumbo, tenor; Gilmour Nyabani, first tenor; Ndabezinhle Sithole, tenor; and Professor Mkohliswa, who recently joined the group.
Online Reporter