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Amos Mahendere

Arts Correspondent
Popular gospel singer Amos Mahendere has released an album titled “Our Heritage”, which he did with artistes from Bulawayo and Chipinge in a bid to promote peace and unity. The six-track album with songs in Shona, Ndebele and Ndau was mastered by veteran music producer Bothwell Nyamhondera at Diamond Studios.

“I heeded the call from President Mnangagwa who said no more praise songs. He said artistes should compose songs that are about unity, peace and development. In the spirit of this, I decided to do a rendition of the national anthem in different languages,” he said. Mahendere said he decided to do the songs in other local languages so that all people in the country enjoy the message of peace that he is preaching.

“People pay more attention when things are said in their local languages. This message of peace should reach all corners of the country,” he said. The other song on the album “Tiri Mhuri Imwe- Siyi Muli Nye” talks about how Zimbabweans should unite as one family.

“We are one in our diversity. The challenges and aspirations we have as the country needs our oneness, a divided kingdom will fall,” he said. Mahendere, a veteran singer from the 90s Mahendere used to front by Mahendere Brothers which were a household name in gospel music in the early 1990s with hits such as “Hupenyu Hwepanyika”, “Jehovah Ndiye Mufudzi Wangu” and “Mapisarema 23”.

Following the disbanding of the group at the turn of the millennium, Michael Mahendere, one of the siblings, who also included Akim and Misheck, went on to carve a successful solo career in music.