Zimbabwe’s Rumbie dazzles audience at Thoko Suya’s double launch

Tom Sangala July 8, 2015

429 1 minute read

Zimbabwe female artist Rumbie Zvirikuzhe gave food for thought for the country’s gospel musicians that they have to do more to perfect their performances as she offered a scintillating act during a double launch of Thoko Suya’s CD and DVD of her album titled Adzandinyamula at Robin’s Park in Blantyre.

The female musician who came all the way from Zimbabwe with her band only offered a short performance but it was enough to keep people on the dance floor throughout.

She was cool and collected, she talked to the audience, she danced and her dancers too were in top form. Her sound had the identity of the mbira music something which has missed from the country’s music no wonder Joseph Tembo joined her band to play the lead guitar.

“This is what we call a performance, as Malawian artists we have a long way to go, I have really been challenged by Rumbie,” said Ndirande Anglican Voices’ lead vocalist Dennis Kalimbe, who group also spiced up the launch.

Backed by Groove Magic Band featuring Tembo and veteran guitarists Peter Likhomo and Collen Ali, Suya, who has been out of action for sometime due to her sickness also showed her potential and her sound was mature.

She actually spiced up her act with Ingoma dancers no wonder she even received praise from Rumbie that she was a great performer.

“You need to support Thoko Suya, she is a great performer and a very strong preacher,” said Rumbie of the country’s gospel musician, who is married to Pastor Suya.

Rumbie said she was surprised with the support Malawians gave to Suya.

“I wasn’t expecting this huge audience because this is my fourth time to be a supporting artist here in Malawi but I have never performed in a crowd like this,” she said.

Some of Suya’s songs could not ring a bell in the audience but she was not moved and went on to sing with power, telling a story of the experience she went through when she was sick and that God lifted her up.

Suya was all smiles with the show saying she saw the hand of God on this day.

“God promised me about this day but I didn’t know it was going to be this huge. It is God who gave me the songs while on my hospital bed and the same God has brought all these people. I am so thankful,” she said.

She said she was going to launch the album in other major cities of the country including districts.

Suya’s songs in the album were composed last year when she was critically ill as she was suffering from kidney failure.