By Nyasha Chuma
There’s an old saying about the show going on ,but no one expected it to go on quite like this.
This past Saturday, Harare’s Hippodrome was packed to the rafters for acapella gospel giants Firm Faith’s 20th anniversary. The crowd was ready for a night of Herculean praise. There was just one tiny problem: their own vocal powerhouse, Prim Moyo, was missing.
Why? Because Prim had just done something far more miraculous than hitting a high note ,rather she gave birth. On the eve of the anniversary, no less. Talk about dramatic timing.
But here’s where the story takes an unexpected turn. Out of that labour came not one, but two births. The first was a beautiful baby. The second? The birth of a new Zambian voice into the Firm Faith family.
Stepping into the gap was Lusyomo Chingo, the Zambian singer, songwriter, and recording artist known for her soulful vocals and work with Onyx Music Group. With Firm Faith needing a voice that could hold the room, Lusyomo walked on stage and delivered. She had already made her mark on projects like the “Nkuku Na Rice EP” and “Zed Rewind EP”, but this was her first live moment with the Harare giants.
The crowd didn’t just accept her but they roared for her. Song after song, she matched the group’s trademark harmonies with a tone that was distinctly Zambian, yet right at home in Firm Faith’s Shona-Ndebele repertoire. By the final number, what started as an emergency fill-in felt like a deliberate unveiling.
“It was never planned like this,” one band member said backstage. “But sometimes God writes better scripts than we do.”
For Prim, the night meant welcoming a child into the world. For Firm Faith, it meant welcoming a new collaborator into the fold. And for Lusyomo Chingo, it was the moment a Zambian voice found a bigger stage.
Express Mail Zim spoke to Lusyomo on the sidelines of the event and she said;
“Well,I had a good time and I didn’t have difficulties in fitting in since the languages are almost similar,” she said.
Harare – It was a celebration of two decades in the making, and Firm Faith did not disappoint on Saturday. The award-winning acapella sensation transformed the Hippodrome Amphitheatre into a dazzling sanctuary of sound, proving that experience truly is the best teacher as they marked 20 years of ministry with a breathtaking performance.
The event shattered records as arguably one of the largest Seventh Day Adventist-affiliated musical gathering outside the annual Celestial Celebrations. Every seat was filled, every soul lifted and the atmosphere buzzed with electric anticipation.
From the moment guests stepped onto the red carpet, it was clear this was no ordinary gospel show. The who’s who of Harare’s business elite mingled with devoted fans, all dressed to impress. Glitz and glamour reigned supreme with women in shimmering gowns, men in sharp tailoring but the real treasure was the music!
The night kicked into high gear with a surprise appearance from acapella legends Shower Power, whose warm-up set raised the energy to fever pitch. Then director of ceremonies Ms Becky continued priming the crowd for the main event.
If there was a moment that brought the house down before Firm Faith even appeared, it was Sharon Manyonganise Cherai. The songstress unleashed her inimitable, spine-tingling voice and the entire amphitheatre rose to its feet with a standing ovation before the headliners had sung a single note.
Music and Worship:Part of the crowd that thronged the event
Then came the moment 20 years had built toward. Dressed in stunning coordination of female members radiant in flowing green, the men crisp in black suits and white gloves Firm Faith stepped into the spotlight. The crowd erupted into an ecstatic frenzy.
Their deportment was five-star, their harmonies even more so. Midway through the set, they introduced Probeats, a crowd-favourite beatboxer who wove his rare, rhythmic magic as the group dipped into a semi-gospel hip-hop track, sending fans on a joyful nostalgia trip.
From Ngena Noah to Gare Gare and Whispering Hope, the group ran through their decorated discography with flawless stage communication, each note dripping with soul and worship.
From Joburg with love: SA gospel outfit Reality 7 belts it out on stage in Harare
Reality 7 from South Africa, closed the night with sing-along anthems, ensuring the celebration ended on a euphoric high. But the night truly belonged to Firm Faith, a ministry that has grown from humble Harare roots into a global streaming phenomenon.
The numbers speak volumes. With over 16,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and Whispering Hope alone surpassing 427,000 streams, Firm Faith’s reach extends far beyond the amphitheatre.
Recent albums Munesimba and Muumbi Wehari (both 2024), Shoko Rengirozi Nhatu (2022), and 2025/2026 singles Tsitsi Dzenyu Ngadziuye and What Heaven Means to Me prove the group is still creating, still climbing.
Founding member Marshall Matsilele addressed the glittering crowd with humility and fire: “From our early days to now streaming platforms, YouTube, live stages across borders, this is all grace. We thank the church, our families, and every fan who has walked with us for 20 years.”
He called the Hippodrome celebration not just a milestone, but a launchpad for Firm Faith’s next chapter of ministry.
Twenty years in, Firm Faith’s voice has never sounded sweeter. Here’s to the next two decades of worship, wonder and world-class acapella.!
Ready to join the celebration? Firm Faith’s entire catalogue is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. Catch official videos and live performances on their YouTube channel (Firm Faith Music) and stay updated via Facebook @firm.faithzim.
By Nigel Pfunde
Harare — The late sungura maestro Nicholas “Madzibaba” Zakaria’s rich music legacy won’t fade into obscurity. Several of his protégés are stepping up to protect the artistic wealth he left behind in the cutthroat music industry, now the latest to carry the torch is Njonda Power (real name Patrick Mupindu) who spoke to Express Mail Zim Lifestyle in a wide ranging interview over the weekend.
Njonda Power says the mentorship he received from Madzibaba has shaped both his sound and his mission. That relationship goes back more than two decades.
“I met Zakaria in 2001,” Njonda recalls. “That meeting on social circles led to him assisting me on my first single, which was in memory of my late parents. I had written six pages and he said no, trim it down and just hit the message you want to deliver. He was a friend who became brother, father and Senior Lecturer. Memories of him still linger, but we will implement what he taught us, and Sungura and Khiama music will live on.”
It was that early break that pulled him into sungura’s inner circle and gave him a first-hand lesson in discipline, songwriting, and stagecraft.
Over the years he built a discography that carries the Khiama DNA. His albums include Rauya Gen’a, Matare Mirai, Hupenyu Hwangu, ZvaMwari Hazvipikiswe, and his latest project, Minzwa YeNungu.
The six-track Minzwa YeNungu project bears the talismanic touch of legendary producer Bothwell Nyamhondera, the same producer who worked closely with Zakaria during his Khiama Boys era.
“It’s pregnant with powerful lyrics which touch on social issues,” Njonda said.
On ZvaMwari Hazvipikiswe, he penned “Fanika Iwe” to address drug abuse — a topic he speaks about bluntly off-stage as well.
Asked on how he got the name Njonda Power, he said: “The name came from the people after they saw that I’m very, very generous. I believe in helping others.”
He calls himself a “son of Khiama.”
“Mdara (Zakaria )started off as a friend who became a brother, father and Senior Lecturer and his death pained me. He coined me mwana weKhiama. As I grew up I always loved Khiama music, and it was easy for me to adopt. Madzibaba taught me the theoretical and management aspect of music that is how to assemble a band, lead it, arrange shows and so forth. And when the time came for him to teach me the practical side of playing the guitar, he unfortunately had health challenges leading to his death that still hurt me up to now, but we will carry on the music legacy with what he taught us.”
Teacher and student:Njonda Powers poses for a picture with his mentor the late Sungura maestro Nicholas Zakaria
The devout Catholic says his faith shapes his art. “That is why my music revolves around Christianity, love and unity.”
Turning to the local music industry, the bulky musician, international truck driver and farmer said there is need for support from both the corporate world and from artists themselves to unite. He also took a swipe at young musicians abusing drugs and substances.
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“Music industry in Zimbabwe needs a very big boost and support from all responsible stakeholders. Lack of support to our talent is letting us down. And also some of those artists who are taking drugs — I say no, that is very dangerous, it kills career and life at the same time. Collaborations between artists is powerful, but lack of unity is the problem. When you approach an artist more popular than you, he or she gives you terms that you can’t afford, and this kills the culture of music collaborations. Back then the artists used to work together, collaborating differently. Look at Tuku and Chimbetu on that song ‘Ndoda kuchata naye’, it was some form of collaborating. Personally, given the opportunity, I would want to collaborate with the likes of Kofi Olomide.”
“This album is basically reaffirming my wish to maintain mdara’s music legacy and implement what he taught us,” he said of Minzwa Yangu. “I was mainly touching on the need to maintain the sungura music game in this jungle where lots of genres are coming up and it’s a dog-eat-dog situation where ahwina ahwina.”
With Rauya Gen’a, Matare Mirai, Hupenyu Hwangu, ZvaMwari Hazvipikiswe and now Minzwa YeNungu in circulation, Njonda Power is positioning himself as the next link in the Khiama chain.
Njonda Power is optimistic the game will change for the better in the music industry and said passion will keep him soldiering on.
