The Sunday Mail
WHILE the mainstream popularity of a cappella apostolic gospel music genre seems to have vanished with the acclaimed Vabati VaJehova a cappella group, the faith itself has continued to grow.
This has inspired members from other religious sects such as Methodist, Prophetic Healing and Deliverance, and church members from the other mainstream conventional traditional churches, to come together and minister through a cappella apostolic gospel music.
In a way, one may say this inspired the formation of Disciples Compass, a charismatic and edgy gospel a cappella group.
The group comprises of 15 members inclusive of four dancers and has in recent weeks rocked the music industry. Their new album titled “Hakuna Zita” has had several tracks stuck on play lists reminding people of the Africanisation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a groovy Sunday morning praise feel.
“We are an all-male ensemble and our music has been very well received. Perhaps it is because of our little secret of who we really are and what inspires us to take up this sort of music. It is not a genre we are familiar with in our own churches,” says the group’s leader and spokesperson, David Makoni.
The group features members from different churches hence creating a high breed of a cappella gospel music based on the desire to collectively navigate the gospel.
“We share a love for the apostolic genre of music, a passion for ministering through song and also an appreciation for the art of a cappella,” confesses Makoni.
The end result has been phenomenal. They have taken traditional hymns and refrains from the Methodists, for example, and redone them with apostolic faith music flair and the people from across denominations have embraced them. This may very well explain why the debut album “Hakuna Zita” has spawned several hit singles that have made them hot shot favourites to land amongst the top five gospel music players come end of the year when people run off with a number of accolades as the year is analysed in retrospect.
While every song is like a groovy compass directing us to the Lord and Saviour, the massages in the songs cut across the various denominations all fused with the a cappella apostolic flair. “Hakuna Zita” is one of the songs that are contextualised and sung in a way we have never heard before. Nevertheless, one will always find themselves singing along to the catchy tune.
“We are now in the process of putting together a second album in response to our followers and fans. The first 11-track album got such an overwhelming response it is time we maintained the momentum,” says Makoni.
The current album features a number of hit songs such as the title track “Hakuna Zita”, “Huyai Mambo” and “Jesu Chiuya”, amongst other songs that may vary with individuals. In a tribute to their late co-leader who died in a road traffic accident before completion of the first album, two tracks are distinctly dedicated to his life and passing namely “Fambai Naye” and “Tichanosanganiswa”, hence the tangible air of emotion in the tracks.
