MAGACHA'S AFRICAN PRAISE RELEASES SINGLES

Sabastian Magacha’s gangly new band, African Praise, has dropped four singles pending an album before the end of the month.

Two of the singles, Rovambira featuring ZCC Mbungo Stars and Kwekuturira, a remastered rendition of Leonard Zhakata’s Gomba Remarara are already enjoying considerable airplay.

The other two jams are Hande a dancehall tune by Magacha’s young brother, Tinashe, and a worship medley entitled I Love You Jesus.

Magacha told Christian Public Square that the band is a mega praise concept where artists of different nationalities worship God under one banner.

The group’s membership is culled from different African countries including DRC, Zambia, Malawi, Nigeria and Kenya.

“Africa Praise is a new concept in local gospel music. After the years of experience I have acquired in the industry I decided to do something different,” said Magacha.

“We are charting a different route with a new sound which is proudly African. I nursed this dream from 2010 and shared it with my producers Mac Dee and Joseph Madziyire who were both supportive.

“The group is out to celebrate God African-style through the medium of native languages, local and regional. Some of the tracks we are working on are in Kalanga, Ndebele, Nambya and Shona and languages from beyond our borders.

“We are a cosmopolitan band. Although we are identifiable by a specific sound we are not limited in terms of genre.

“We want to streamline our different cultures into our common mandate to worship God. The group is barely two months old but we have already made headway by special grace,” Magacha said.

The Ridza Bosvo hitmaker said the group has mouth-watering projects in the basket including a tour of Australia, the United States and Canada from July to September after which they will record their inaugural live DVD at 7 Arts Theatre.

Rovambira is a theologically sound jam which warns points out that the church is supposed to be a cave to shelter the troubled but materialism in the church is now like a resident cobra waiting to bite new congregants and poison their hearts. It has a worked-up which fuses kanindo, sungura and rhumba, underscoring the group’s cosmopolitan influences.

“Kwekuturira, which also features Zhakata, retains the message of the original composition spiced up by Magacha’s add-ons, while the sound is laid-back, worship-mode.

All the tracks are being recorded live without digital revisions at Whereitsat Studios. The producer is former Small House Saga star Wonder Pinjisi.

Mercy Mutsvene’s young brother, Kudakwashe, is touted as one of the key finds of the project.  The youthful outfit features, among others, Solomon Sunguro on bass, Napthtali on drums and Tamiswa on the keyboards.

Magacha forestalled the prospect of competition with Zimpraise whose projects he has featured in from inception to the present. He said he is still part of Zimpraise and acknowledged the mega-choir’s CEO Madziyire’s contribution to his career.

He said the band is open to performing with different artists, especially rookies still finding their feet in the industry considering the challenges most of them face with regard to resources when it comes to holding their own shows.

“At the moment we want to push Kuda and Tinashe to be the next big acts.  The talent is there and guaranteed support they will last the distance,” Magacha said.

“Tinashe is already making noise as a dancehall chanter in UFIC and I credit Prophet Makandiwa and the leadership for availing him such a major platform,” he said.

He said the group has launched a clothesline and over 300 articles of their merchandise were sold during the first week.

Magacha, who played for CAPS United junior before reverting to music after an injury, has five albums “Shekinah Glory” (2004), Baba Ndinokutenda (2007), Tinaye – Faithful God  (2010), Mapostori (2012) and Back to Sender (2013) under his belt.

His first album was not played for two years till Power FM’s Bridget "Bubbles" Gavanga stumbled on it in the library in 2006. He has since risen to be one of the most sought-after psalmists in the country.