By Kennedy Nyavaya When comedian Prosper Ngomashi, popularly known as Comic Pastor, first announced the release of a debut music album a few weeks ago, it sounded like one of his hilarious ramblings, something not worth taking serious.
This is not because he is new to music, in fact his love for the art – rap in particular — is a public secret although every time he has entered the studio booth the outcome has always been something to make people laugh.
A song titled Pray for Olinda, in which he attempted to charm United Kingdom-based businessperson Olinda Chapel-Nkomo, quickly comes to mind or more recently his quirky claim of the Zimhip-hop crown in Haina Mambo.
Interestingly, last week he lived up to his promise through the release of an eight-track album titled In My Time co-produced by Cymplex, Alicious, Spiritfingerz and Mambo Hermaz.
By Thursday afternoon, his single Jambwa, featuring Feli Nandi was trending at number five among local music videos and that did not appear to be a fluke judging from the positive comments online.
The work of art is “an encouragement to someone to try something you thing you cannot do” he said in one of his many social media posts.
“So, people will try and ‘pull you down’ with negative comments and all sorts of negativity, but hear me you people this is #InMyTime, in your time do something to enjoy your life…” he captioned a picture of his album sleeve.
There is no doubt that the 37-year-old has always been one to break barriers with his career as a funnyman starting as a speck of dust to the extent of growing into a household name.
Born and raised in the dusty streets of Epworth, Ngomashi once revealed that before committing to jest, his adult life had been plunging prompting him to skip the country’s borders to work as a cattle herder as well as a lowly paid security guard, owing to a tough upbringing.
However, he will forever cherish the day he got in front of a camera to make people laugh through a series of comic skits that birthed his unexpected career in comedy.
Half a decade later, with hundreds of thousands of followers and over a million views, the Comic Awards show host has the nation eating from his palm.
His innovation knows no boundary. One wonders though if the recently released album is announcing another realm for a talent that keeps giving or he is not simply stretching it.
The album is a “once off journey” he has claimed but there is no guarantee that he would stop if the reception to his music turns out to be positive.
Nevertheless, for now, he has joined a growing list of local comedians that have effectively blurred the fine line between music and comedy with fingers crossed that failure in the former does not affect both.