BY AGATHA CHUMA/ CHIEDZA MAZHANGARA INTERDENOMINATIONAL gospel music group Spirit Praise Choir appears to have charmed Congolese rhumba singer Dispatch who has promised more collaborations with it after the successful launch of their first duet Elonga (Victory).
The song, whose vocals are both in Shona and Lingala, and its accompanying video were launched at a local hotel in the capital last Friday night.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style on the sidelines of the launch, Dispatch confirmed that more collaborations with the choir were in the pipeline.
“After working with Spirit Praise Choir for four months and successfully composing Elonga (Victory) together I feel I belong to the choir,” he said, adding that collaborating with the choir was through God’s grace.
“I cannot believe that it was me holding a pen and writing a song in another language. It was God’s blessing. With the Spirit Praise team, I feel like this is the place where I deserve to be.”
Born Haryan Kunura, Dispatch added: “In life you can walk and do whatever you want, but if God prepared a place for you a time will come when you settle in that place and I am sure that mine is with the Spirit Praise Choir.”
“I am planning to have more collaborations with Spirit Praise Choir in the next coming two months and the songs will also be in Shona and Lingala.”
Spirit Praise Choir director-cum- cleric, Learnmore Tawengwa is optimistic that the song will become a hit considering the languages used and the rhumba fusion.
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“I was excited to be able to host our first project of the year,” he said.
“Since a lot of people are going through some trials, one of the antidotes to these challenges is giving your life to God. I believe once people listen to the song their lives are going to change.”
Tawengwa said because Spirit Praise Choir is an interdenominational and international choir composing a rhumba-fused song would help win more souls to God since rhumba is one of the most played genres and music is one of the best ways to capture souls.
“We packaged the song with a rhumba rhythm so that as people listen to the beat, they also hear the word of God,” he said.
The group hopes to release in October a project titled One Voice in Six and a live DVD under their annual event dubbed One Voice Concert.
Tawengwa said for musicians to become better and grow in music they had to approach music with a business mindset.
“I think music has only been seen as entertainment, but never considered as a business. I believe this is why we have not seen our artistes grow big like in other countries,” he said.
Spirit Praise Choir was formed in 2013 and has about 40 members with its discography constituting two albums.
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