Popular apostolic choral group Vabati VaJehova was on Saturday night awarded with a legendary award at a colourful event held at the Harare International Conference Centre.
The event was organised by ZimPraise to honour gospel music legends. It saw the grandfather of gospel music Mechanic Manyeruke, Elias Musakwa, Pastor Haisa, Brother Sam and The Charambas being honoured too.
Also honoured were the late Jackie Madondo and Brian Sibalo who were awarded posthumously. ZimPraise is a group of passionate praise and worshipers in Zimbabwe. The group seeks to run on a vision of bringing or uniting nations through worship through music.
But it was Vabati VaJehovah, who was in cloud nine after winning their fifth title, as the formidable group was honoured for pioneering and revolutionising apostolic a cappella music.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Mamrod Magaya, leader of the group, said they had dedicated the award to their fallen heroes. “We are very glad to be honoured this way and we dedicate this award to our fellow members who are not with us today. Without them Vabati VaJehovah could not have been born,” he said.
ZimPraise chief executive officer Joseph Madziyire said Vabati Vajehova deserved the honour as they were contributing a lot in the music industry.
“This group has come a long way and they have done a lot in the gospel music fraternity. They brought in a kind of music that has become very popular in the country,” he said.
Vabati VaJehovah, a 12-member outfit, was formed in 1999 and released the album Mweya Mutsvene WaMwari.
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Growing up in the dusty rural area of Mhondoro, about 40km from Harare, the five men who sang in the church choir had no idea that they would later live on their voices calling themselves Vabati VaJehova. Of the original five, four were from the Magaya family. These are Wiseman, Mamrod, Timothy and Khumbulani as well as Samson Tawengwa, whose families belonged to the Ruwadzano Romuchinjikwa Apostolic sect. They were part of the church choir that entertained elders during worship sessions.
Unfortunately, the pioneer Wiseman Magaya died in 2007 and in 2009 Timothy Magaya was hit by a haulage truck at Rosalum shopping centre along Harare-Masvingo Road while coming from the Beatrice farming area where he had gone to collect firewood, while another founder member Khumbulani Magaya died last year.
The group has released 12 albums so far and they made history after their maiden appearance at the Harare International Festival of Arts in 2010.
