“You are a musical light which has shone upon Cecil John Rhodes Primary School, kids go and shine in your new endeavour,” these were the warm farewell words that music teacher and expert, Tinomutenda Chihora received last Friday from CJR primary head Mrs Mupinyuri at the school prize giving day.
Chihora who served CJR primary school as a music teacher for 16 years, was honoured for a decade and more service for imparting music skills to the school children.
The music expert who is also the brainchild behind Midlands Marimba Music Arts Festival is now a music lecturer at Mkoba Teachers' College where he continues to inspire students through music art and culture.
“I feel honoured to have served CJR primary school and leaving a legacy at the learning institution,” Chihora told Standard Style.
“I established a vibrant recorder club at CJR and imparted visual and performing arts skills to staff at the school. To date CJR boasts of a competitive choir that is a force to reckon with. We also recorded a music video with CJR marimba band.”
A holder of a degree in music and musicology from the Midlands State University Chihora is a seasoned gospel artist and has eight albums in his music career.
His hit song Zvogozha has been used on local radio 98.4FM Midlands gospel billboard.
This year he composed a piece on drug and substance abuse for the Kwekwe Sport, Arts and Culture Festival.
A national music adjudicator and consultant, Chihora has transcribed 30 marimba songs with aid from the Culture Fund Zimbabwe Trust.
It was all tears and hugs from the schoolchildren as Chihora bade farewell to CJR primary school at the prize giving day but the legacy of the soft music icon keep on shining. CJR honoured him with a deep freezer as a gesture of appreciation.