Zimbabwe’s gospel is having its greatest celebration on 11 April just before a coincidence on its holiday calendar. On the 18th of April this year, Zimbabwe is twinning its holiday celebrations.
Its most important day, Independence Day, and on this day Good Friday will be the Good Friday holiday, a part of the Easter Holidays. Interestingly, a week before the Christians of Zimbabwe have the biggest honouring occasion in the form of the Zimbabwean Gospel Music Awards First Edition.
According to the founder and director of the Zimbabwean Gospel Music Awards First Edition, Lee Chitsungo, “The main goal of this event is to recognize, celebrate and honour gospel excellence. We are giving these awards to artists, promoters, corporates and all individuals and organisations who have given their support and made gospel music to be what it is today, whilst enabling its sustainability as an enabler of spiritual, social and developmental inspiration source and enabler. At Casino Marina, Long Cheng, in Belvedere Harare, the crème dela crème are going to gather for the event starting from 6pm to 10pm.”
Gospel musician and Secretary General of the event stated that, “We are going to have a clean-up campaign on 10 April, whereby the gospel fraternity, EMA and Harare City are going to express their stewardship of the environment. We will have the grand event at Long Cheng. This event is the donkey ride to our Jerusalem, both nationally and with regard to our Easter holiday. Thus, we are cognizant of both our independence and the salvation given by the sacrifice of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ on the Cross. This event is set to be unforgettable.”
The awards will be given to organisations that supported gospel musicians with platforms and exposure and or made them to be corporate brand ambassadors, for their organisations or products, as well as individuals who helped develop the genre. In addition, the media fraternity from radio, television, newspapers and online will also get gongs.
Chitsungo concluded that, “The Zimbabwean Gospel Music Awards First Edition, also expresses its appreciation to the Government of Zimbabwe, through our parent Ministry of Sport, Arts, Recreation and Culture and the National Arts Council.’
