Shumba lines up two shows in SA

Moffat Mungazi

AWARD-WINNING gospel musician Blessing Shumba will this weekend perform two shows in South Africa as a promotional offensive and continue with the crusade to market his latest album Calvary. The Mutare-based artiste will join forces with Reverend Togi Chivaviro of the mega hit Ebenezer: Tiri Munyasha in the double-legged shows for tomorrow (Saturday) at the Pretoria Founders Centre and Sunday at Germiston Prayer Centre.

Speaking to The Weekender early this week, Shumba said the gigs were motivated by the need to take his music beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. Both singers recently launched their latest releases for 2016 and Shumba is eager to penetrate the regional market.

“This is more like a South African edition of the launch of our new albums where I will be promoting my Calvary and Rev. Chivaviro his Mhepo Inoperekedza: Tiri Munyasha Part 2. I realised that we have fans across the Limpopo, most of whom may be from home here in Zimbabwe, but then was also needed to create and build on a fan base among South Africans and so we decided to take our music there and share it with them.

Music is a universal language that cannot be confined to certain areas and we would appreciate the support and following we can get elsewhere, especially from new fans and outside this country.

“On the other hand, this will be a platform to share experiences and exchange ideas with other gospel musicians based there as we will have the Germiston and Pretoria APM Worship Team and other various artistes as supporting acts.

Also, the shows will be a belated Easter holidays present to our fans that side as we commemorate Jesus’ death and resurrection as the body of Christ.

“As family shows starting from 2-6pm,we hope that those in attendance will get to be blessed over the entire weekend and beyond,” said Shumba, whose album NdiMwari – off which several plug tracks like Hama Dzatinadzo and Nhaka were lifted – won him the 2011NamaBest Album gong; adding that they were geared for the shows and looking forward to a rewarding experience and fulfilling outing.

As well as spiritually uplifting congregants, Shumba added that his performance should leave enduring memories, while also touching and changing lives through deliverance from the word they will minister through song.

This becomes Shumba’s third musical foray into Zimbabwe’s southern neighbour, having previously staged two other shows in Cape Town and Durban and the gifted lyricist is relishing another bite of the cherry.

While on the local front the Timene Timene hitmaker has built a steadily growing fan-base, it is the regional market that his eye is on now.

Building on the success of his previous four albums, among which include the debut Ishe Wazvose, Shongwe and last year’s Holy Psalms Volume 1: NdiJesu which have seen him bag multiple awards, Shumba believes his new project will take him a notch higher in his ascendency on the musical ladder.

And it is with Calvary that he is seeking to break new ground by gaining a grip on the Mzansi and wider African audience.

Already, the Mufaro singer, who boasts other top tracks like Kuchengeta Murawu, Nyaradzai Vanhu and Kutenda Chii, has been to Mozambique and Botswana, where he was overwhelmingly received and is now planning on an adventure into the other parts of the continent.