adminTheatre in Avondale, Harare, at the weekend in order to appreciate that there are other outfits who are equally talented.
The group is none other than the 50-member outfit, Zimpraise Choir, who had a live DVD recording at the venue on Sunday.
This is the first DVD by the inter-denominational outfit that has the likes of music producers Macdonald “Mac Dee” Chidavaenzi and Joseph Madziyire among its ranks as well as musicians such as Sabastian Magacha, Pastor G and Thembelami among others. The four-hour DVD shoot left audiences enthralled and without any doubt that the choir was holding its own not only in Zimbabwe but also in the region if they are given the chance they deserve.
The DVD, titled “Zimpraise Season 3” was a sequel to two of their audio albums, “Zimpraise Season 1” and “Season 2”, which was a double album.
Various other upcoming gospel musicians like Lloyd Tevedzai, Tsitsi Kudita, Dumisani Chitukutuku and various worship singers from different churches, will also have a chance to feature on the DVD.
Mac Dee was upbeat that the live DVD would go a long way in spreading the gospel through visual means.
“We believe we have left that generation whereby music is not what you just hear but also what you see.
“We want to display the true art of worship because for a long time people have been hearing without seeing their musicians live in action,” he said.
Fellow producer Madziyire said the live DVD was also part of their ministry as Christians.
“A lot of people just know us merely as producers of urban grooves music, yet we are also Christians. Urban grooves is our career, it puts food on our table, but this (gospel music) is God’s work and therefore part of our ministry,” Madziyire said.
He said the DVD would go a long way in teaching worship since it was not easy to go around churches in the country preaching.
“It is not an easy task going around all the churches in the country but it is easy to impart it through music and one way of achieving that is through the live DVD,” Madziyire said.
Apart from musicians, the live DVD also featured a number of spiritual leaders like Dr Aspher Madziyire, who is also the president of the AFM Church in Zimbabwe, Pastor Chichi Bismark, wife to Bishob Tudor Bismark of New Life Church, Reverend Otis Sasa, Reverend Rodney Chipoyera and Alick Gunda.
Madziyire, however, said the road has not been easy for them to be where they are today. “It was not easy for us to eventually come up with the final decision to shoot the live DVD. The corporate world has been forthcoming. Corporates in Zimbabwe are run by Christian chief executive officers but they are not keen to support the local gospel music industry.
“We went through a lot for this recording to come through and every time there is an international gathering or show most of them (CEOs) rush to sponsor it but when it comes to local acts, we are usually left in the cold,” Madziyire said.
G-Tide, 4 May Menswear, Extol Group and Eternity Productions sponsored the DVD recording.
Online Reporter