MULTIPLE award-winning gospel singer Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave has spread her wings into music production in a development that saw her producing her latest video, Mutsvene (Holy).
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
The video, which has a local traditional gospel flair, was shot at Matendera national monument in Buhera and features the Lemba (VaRemba) people from the community.
Fungisai said she produced the video in a bid to psyche up those that may have been dispirited by life experiences.
“There are so many things that make us want to give up on our faith, but He is God by Himself. I did this video last year and had been feeling too low to sing at all, but God has raised more hope and faith in me and I just thought I could encourage someone through the Mutsvene (Holy) video,” she said.
“Whatever we may be going through, there is need for hope after hope. He commands the winds, the oceans and the mountains to their boundaries so that we may be safe, He can surely command viruses and man-made disasters to their boundaries too. When nothing and no one is left for us, hope in Christ is a life stream. Without it, we cannot exist as a people. Let’s sing Mutsvene (Holy) as we await better days to come.”
Fungisai said it was a great experience to self-produce the video.
“I did the production, direction, make-up, costumes, editing and colour grading of this video. I hired Slimaz and Simba G as my cameramen and here we are. It’s not easy to convince our society that women have it, but I make sure I give it my best shot according to my calling. It’s not easy to be both female and gospel artiste on the Zimbabwean music scene,” she said. The musician said the choice of her video location was inspired by her spiritual journey and pilgrimage from Egypt to Israel alongside Eunor Guti, wife of ZAOGA FIF founder Ezekiel Guti.
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“During my first pilgrimage journey from Egypt to Israel in 2019, I couldn’t help, but notice these magnificent stone works and the one that struck me is closely situated to the biblical well of Mara as well as the building at the foot of Mt Sinai,” she said.
“Throughout the journey that followed the route which the children of Israel travelled from Egypt to Jerusalem, stone artwork is the most dominant form of buildings. The Israelites have an outstanding dexterity in carving local stone and building cities with it. It is, therefore, not surprising that the lost tribe may have indeed engineered the building of Great Zimbabwe Monuments and its replicas with local stones too.”
The Egypt-Israeli pilgrimage was a spiritual experience, in which Fungisai believes to have touched base with her origins, discovered her place in the kingdom of God and the role she has in calling nations to Christ.
She said she had a “spiritual encounter” at places such as Goshen, Mt Sinai and Jerusalem and that inspired her to produce the Mutsvene (Holy) video at a local ancient city that resembled those in the Middle East.
Fungisai said she believed it was not coincidental that she had been the brand ambassador for the Matendera national monument in Manicaland since 2014.
“I am excited to showcase the Matendera ancient city to the world, exposing the beauty of my motherland Buhera to the world through my music as my personal life plays a true testimony to the blessing of God upon my life which can be transferred to all believers in Christ,” she said.
“It was amazing working with the warm-hearted Matendera community to produce this piece. In these harsh and trying times, we will lift the Ark of the Covenant in our motherland, sing Mutsvene and have faith we shall be saved.”
The Lemba people are believed to be of Jewish origin after migrating from Yemen thousands of years ago and have been associated with advisory and architectural roles that led to the building of Great Zimbabwe Monuments by the native Rozvi tribe.
