Chitungwiza – During the 90s, the Zimbabwe music scene was conquered by the sungura beat, made famous by Alick Macheso, the late Leonard Dembo – and Leonard Zhakata – among others.
The showbiz industry had few gospel artistes such as Jordan Chataika and the iconic Mechanic Manyeruke.
A novice a boy from the rural area, Charles Charamba dared to do the impossible. He sought to enter a minefield that many had not dared to explore the gospel genre.
“There were seriously talented individuals then in the industry in the likes of Leonard Dembo, Oliver Mtukudzi, Thomas Mapfumo, Alick Macheso was still with Khiama Boys and Leonard Zhakata among others.
“This generation had taken music seriously and it was difficult for a newcomer to make a mark,” Charamba mentioned to a local publication.
The timely intervention of seasoned music producer changed the course of the gospel genus.
“Few artistes were singing gospel music then, and the marketing department at Gramma Records wanted music that would boost their sales. I was only recorded after they were convinced by veteran music producer Bothwell Nyamondera,” he said.
His goal was not as easy as he struggled to enter the cutthroat market. Finally, after years of failing, his first single was released in 1995.
“I recorded two singles and it did relatively well. However, my breakthrough came in 1997 when I recorded Tinashe Akatendeka. The video of the song Mhinduro iripo did exceptionally well and things started to shape up for me,” he said.
Thereafter, he went on to fuse gospel with the common sungura. “I discarded the notion that gospel music is supposed to sombre. I love God and I love music, so I had to do songs that I enjoyed to sing. That is why my genre was fast-paced and enjoyable,” he said.
And from 1997 to 2007, he has been established in the musical world. “For several years, I was among the top-selling three artistes in the country, and this was an exceptional achievement for a gospel artiste,” he stated.
Born in 1971, the musician is married to Olivia – also a gospel singer. The couple has five children – and have launched a church, Rooted in Christ Ministries.
To date, Charamba has taken over the entertainment mountain – and he is a true reflection to justify the theme: Give me this mountain – a theme for the 2019 edition of Tiyambuke, hosted yearly by Glory Ministries.
The Tiyambuke International Christian Convention (TICC) is an annual gathering of Christian believers from various denominations, organized by Glory Ministries under the leadership of Apostle Pride and Anna Sibiya.
With its inception in 2001, TICC has grown to become one of the largest conferences in Zimbabwe.
The convention's name, "Tiyambuke," meaning "Let Us Cross Over," reflects its mission to lead people out of ignorance, sin, and bondage into a life of knowledge, love for God, health, prosperity, and freedom.
