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Trust Khosa

HE lost his mother shortly after she had given birth to him, but God had greater plans for him.

A Catholic priest with a heart of gold adopted the little boy at Silveira Mission in Masvingo.

He found sanctuary at the hands of foster parents who protected him.

He never bothered to track down his relatives’ whereabouts as the Lord gave him a shoulder to lean on as a foster child.

As he grew up, the loss haunted him, but he has since moved on.

In his teens, he was already a hit with most church-goers, with his well-composed songs that sought to glorify the Lord and encourage worshippers to strengthen their relationship with the Creator.

Singing for the Lord was the only painkiller he used to cure his wounds.

At 16, he enrolled at a Bible School under ZAOGA (FiF) in Harare to follow his calling.

Church leaders could not give him a branch to lead as they felt he was still too young to perform the task.

A true vessel of Christ, he found himself influential at church crusades and helped the elders at ZAOGA (FiF) open more branches countrywide.

Owing to his raw talent and therapeutic compositions, yesteryear music producers at Gramma Records and ZMC auditioned him, giving birth to Pastor Lawrence Haisa.

With 30 years in the game as a recording artiste and church preacher, he needs no introduction to this game.

From 1994 to date, he has recorded chart-toppers, which can easily make him a legend.

Some of his popular albums include “Uchava Mufaro”, “Vakaropafadzwa”, “Burukai”, “Nguva Ikakwana”, “Machurch” and “Hondo Yemweya”.

This rich catalogue of songs and albums validates Pastor Haisa’s status as a living legend.

Like gospel singers of his generation, Pastor Haisa has been keeping a low-profile, with many asking about his whereabouts.

Last month, many of his fans were glad to realise that his name had been included in the Gospel Legends Night concert slated for December 7 at the Harare International Conference Centre.

The Herald Arts tracked the 57-year-old, and he is still going strong.

Taking us down memory lane, Pastor Haisa reckons he was born to sing and teach music.

“I am still around doing music.

“I have just returned from Cape Town where I was teaching music as well as performing in church.

“I was humbled to be remembered among great legends at the upcoming Gospel Legends Night Concert.

“I am always in and out of Zimbabwe doing God’s work,” he said.

Hailing from Kuwadzana, Harare, with his family, Pastor Haisa said living a legacy remains a top priority.

“As a living legend, I just want to continue serving the Lord and teaching people God’s work.

“At the moment, regional tours are now keeping me busy and I am glad that I am doing my calling not only at ZAOGA (FiF) branches but at other churches,” he said.

As a veteran in the game, Pastor Haisa who has been singing for years offered a piece of advice to upcoming stars.

“My advice to them is to remain committed to God and live in his ways.

“I urge them to invest in prayer and make a difference in other people’s lives.

“The current generation of stars has plenty to offer and change the world.”

Despite all his fame, awards have eluded Pastor Haisa.

“I do not know what they consider but I am yet to get awards.

“The only honour I remember was some sort of nominations years back.

“I am glad that fans have embraced me as I am and I will continue recording more songs.

“I actually have plenty of songs that we are recording and I am glad that everything is in shape and fans simply love our music.”

Despite some of the challenges he encountered years back, Pastor Haisa has remained loyal to God.

“I am proud of the God that I am serving and I am also a proud family man,” bragged Pastor Haisa.

Taking us to his childhood, Pastor Haisa said it was not rosy.

He lost his mother as a toddler and after his call to music, he put his talent to good use.

“What I know is I am my mother’s only child and she died shortly after bringing me to the world.

“I was adopted and singing became my calling and the rest is history as we speak.

“I am also glad that I am utilising my talent for a good cause,” he said.

With most peers of his generation having diversified or joined other professions, Pastor Haisa was content with what he had.

“It’s quite unfortunate that most of the work we are doing as legends is not being recognised at the moment but we are busy actors.

“Only God will reward us and I am happy to keep it that way.

“I found joy outside Zimbabwe, especially Cape Town where my services are on demand.

“I will be going back soon after some errands in Zimbabwe,” added Pastor Haisa.

A true living legend, Pastor Haisa, who started singing in church before rising to fame, still has a lot to offer.

Love or loath him, he is a true legend in the same class as the Charambas, Prince Mafukidze, Carol Mujokoro, and Ivy Kombo among peers of his generation.