BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
FAMOUS local gospel singer Agatha Murudzwa-Ndembera may have broken into the music scene and conquered, but that is not what her late father Peter Rewayi Murudzwa desired.
Her late father wanted the Press On singer to be a nurse or a teacher, formal jobs that resembled stature and class those days, but she had other ideas, music was her passion.
As fate would have it, her attempts to pursue her father’s wish by enrolling for either teaching or nursing hit a brick wall. It was a blessing in disguise for her to pursue her music path.
With dedication and perseverance, the songbird never looked back with Fambai Neni becoming her icebreaker in 2003 with the hit song Anondinyara.
Since then, Murudzwa-Ndembera has never looked back and has managed to inscribe her name in the gospel hall of fame.
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“I would have started my music career long back, but sadly my late father was against the idea of me pursuing a career in music as he wanted me to be a nurse or teacher,” she said.
“That is my only regret in my career so far. I failed to convince him (the father) about my passion for music, but curiously, whenever I applied for the nursing or teaching programmes, all I could get were regrets.”
Murudzwa-Ndembera reckons her breakthrough came when her niece accompanied her to Harare for a date with Grammar Records, where the late legendary producer Tendai Mupfurutsa showed his Midas touch and the album turned into gold.
She said the recording was a secret kept away from her father, who only got to know of it after cassettes where delivered to his workplace.
“I found relief when my Amainini Mai Matundu who knew of my talent and passion had to accompany me to Harare were I secretly recorded my first album Fambai Neni in 2003 without my father’s knowledge. My mother Deliwe was however, aware of the developments,” she said.
“My father only knew that I had recorded an album upon the delivery of the cassettes as there were no CDs at the time at his workplace since I had used his address not home one. The magic worked as from that day he came to accept the reality in pursuit of my musical career.”
She said her father became her number one supporter and the bond was so real and strong.
“From then on, my father became so supportive such that he would make sure I have all the resources and everything that I needed in pursuit of my career,” he said.
While it remains a struggle for many artistes at the moment making many sink into oblivion, Murudzwa-Ndembera has, however, remained in the groove churning out hits after hits.
Her discography is composed of 13 albums and several singles.
The Press On hit maker attributes her fruitful musical career to God’s grace, adding that she draws much of her inspiration from true life personal experiences.
“For me it is both the industry and the ministry that has kept me going such that no matter how the going gets tough, I have to be able to deliver the message. I did not find gospel music, but it found me and I am very grateful,” she said.
As a way of remaining relevant in the wake of this COVID-19 induced national lockdown that has not spared the arts sector, the Mutare bred gospel diva said she will be releasing more singles which will be situational.
“I will be releasing some singles along the way, on January 23 I released Able/Hosanna. I did this song as a message of encouragement after a close friend tested positive to COVID-19. The message is that anywhere and anytime God is able and indeed he was able,” she said.
“So to all those who are in isolation, God is able, those who are battling God is still able and those who lost their relatives and loved ones, God is still able to heal the wounds.”
She said during such trying times which are part of life, only God has answers.
“So during such trying times, we just have to keep on praying and we must not lose hope. No doubt good times are ahead once the Covid-19 pandemic is under control,” she said.
Albums under Murudzwa-Ndembera’s sleeve are Fambai Neni (2003), Ndimi Mwari (2005), Ngatitye Mwari (2007), Hupenyu Hangu (2009), Mwari Anotiona (2010), Press On (2011), No Pain Gain (2013), Grace Period (2015), Breakthrough (2016), The Living Word (March 2018), It is well (2019), Ukholo Lwami (2019) and Zvitsauko (2020).
Follow Winstone on Twitter @widzoanto