UPCOMING gospel artists should live an exemplary life — with their disposition being a light to the world and living according to the Word of God as it is written in the Bible.
gospel music sermon with The Master
On the music front, they must not be excitable with any new song they compose by rushing to the studio, but take their time to produce quality music and only record after being convinced it meets the grade.
Wise words to contemporary artists, if they are to run the distance oozing out the wealth of experience from Baba Mechanic Manyeruke — a legendary gospel artist widely regarded locally as the “Grand Dad” of the spiritually uplifting music genre.
Fellow gospel fans, I am sure you would agree, there is no better way to start this column, which focuses on local gospel artists — offering space to both seasoned and upcoming gospel musicians or ministers, as some prefer, than to take a walk in the musical journey of one of the country’s gospel icons, Baba Manyeruke.
Gospel lovers in Zimbabwe and those living in the Diaspora have been spiritually enthralled by this legend, with more than 23 albums under his illustrious career, who was born Joseph Magundwane on August 16 1942 in Gweru.
For decades, Baba Manyeruke has captivated audiences together with his band, The Puritans since his first solo single, Mwana Muparadzi, whose flip side was Kufa Hakuna Member in 1976.
“If you sing gospel music, you don’t involve yourself in some scandal. We have to live a straightforward life because we are examplary to the world,” is the message Baba Manyeruke passes on to rising gospel musicians, or ministers, as many are now, during my first interview for this column.
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And it does not end there, he reiterates: “The lessons I can give to upcoming artists from my experience are they must not rush to produce their music. I say take your time guys.”
Popularly known as Baba Manyeruke because of his fatherly disposition and true to the statement behind that name, he selflessly dishes out more professional counsel on the direction young gospel artists, who are quick to produce new music, should take, if they are to leave a mark in the industry: “When your music is produced, don’t send it to people early. Carefully listen to it yourself and make sure that your music is good.”
Again, the fatherly nature exudes in him when I asked him who he regarded as his favourite singer. Baba Manyeruke could not be drawn into singling out any local gospel artist as his favourite, preferring to be neutral by saying they were all his favourite since “being a father, I don’t want to mention the name of any of them”, and he went on to say; “Please work hard guys for people to appreciate you”.
Ordinarily, such a question would have brought immediate responses in an industry blessed with the likes of powerful gospel families such as Charles and Olivia Charamba, Mahendere Brothers, ZimPraise and Celebration choirs, Flem B, Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave, Thembelani, Shingisai Suluma, Mathias Mhere, Takesure Zama Ncube and Togarepi Chivaviro, among others.
On his successes in music, he gives all the glory to God the Almighty, since it is the “Word of God that inspired him, through different preachers, to venture into this genre.”
Should gospel music be taken as a business? This question has stirred a lot of controversy across the country, but surprisingly, Baba Manyeruke’s reply was short: “An artist needs to survive. Eventually it will be taken as commercial.”
Finally he tells fans: “If my voice is still with me there will be more coming”. This certainly is sweet music to the ears of Baba Manyeruke’s faithfuls, a declaration of more inspiring gospel from one of Zimbabwe’s finest, a living legend.
You may contact the columnist, Albert Masaka on Email: [email protected] Cell or WhatsApp 0776963414.
