Nurturing musical talent!

Songstress Chimwemwe Mizaya, released her last album in 2009 and has been hard at work behind the scenes. The gospel artist, who rose to fame in the early 1990s and is renowned for her hit songs Mkazi Wamgwilo and  Musamusiye Yesu, tells Albert Sharra what she has been doing; mentoring and promoting two children’s choirs, studying towards a degree in mass communication, furthering her mercy ministry and working on an album to be released next year. She shares the joy of working with children, an ambition to establish a music academy and the significance of Christmas.

I am…

A gospel artist, saved by grace in 1983. I am interested in mercy and prison ministry, which I launched in 2003. I work with children, through the Calvary Kids and Adonai children’s choirs to help them realise and advance their  God-given musical talent.

I am also a part-time presenter at Transworld Radio; I present a programme called Hymns on Sunday. I was born to the late Rev Samuel Semphere and Mai Busa Semphere. I am the fifth born in a family of eight. I am married to Timothy and together, we have two handsome boys, Dalitso and Tata.

I am studying towards a bachelors degree in mass communication at African Bible College. Further, I dabble in business and travel a lot when I get orders. (To find out what business she does).

I have done three Christmas songs.

They are titled, Mulungu Anakonda based on John 3:16, Anabadwa Mkhola and Mukhola lang’ombe.  They carry the message that Christmas is a time of proper celebration and a time to let the Saviour into our lives. We are saved by grace and if Christ had not come to earth in human form, there would have been no salvation. Christmas is also a time to share with the less privileged.  God gave us Jesus and we need to give of ourselves to those around us.  People are battling for their lives in hospitals, some are living without the basics in prisons, some are mourning the loss of their loved ones and others are hurting for various reasons. This is a time to remember them in prayer. I hope all Malawians remember the Christ in Christmas. If at all we are celebrating, we need to do it in a responsible manner.  If Christ came to save us from our sins, why should people get drunk, rob other people’s property and get involved in immoral acts?  This does not make sense.

My most memorable Christmas is…

I have several that stand out, especially those where I was helped make a difference to those in need at Mpemba Boys Home, Likuni Hospital (children’s’ ward), Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (paediatric ward), Salima Resource Centre for the Blind and Nkhoma Hospital. The Lord used us to touch other people’s lives and cheer them up in their lowest moments. When we went to Salima Resource Centre for the Blind, I cried upon seeing the visually impaired boys and girls being led out by their friends. Seeing the desperate mothers at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital looking after their very sick children when the whole world was celebrating was very emotional. Being able to cheer them up, just for a day, was a blessing.

My diary has been full this Christmas season.

During the first week of December, we (African Bible College Student’s Prison Ministry) treated the Maula Prison women to an early Christmas. On 17th December, the Calvary Kids performed at the CFC’s Carol night. On 26th December, they will sing at the ICA’s a function for the Channel for All Nations radio station of the Assemblies of God.

My musical career dates back into the 1990s

This is when Chrissie Kamthunzi, Francis Mijiga, Alice Chawinga, Alice Magola and I joined hands to form a group known as Amazing Grace Singers.  The group disbanded five years later. In 1997, I went solo and produced my first album, Ndiwerenge Mau. There were very few lady artists then. In 1998, I did Lemekeza which featured the hit songs; Musamusiye Yesu and Mkazi wangwiro. In 2000, I produced Yamika Mulengi.  In 2003, I did Wokhulupirika.  In 2006, I released another album; Mpumulo.  In 2009, I released Ukulu Wanu. I was voted best female gospel music artist in 2000 and 2002. In 2008, I attended conferences for Christian artists in Thailand and Bulgaria.

I have been working behind the scenes lately.

My fans might think I have been silent, but I am working with two groups of children’s choirs; Calvary Kids and Adonai Children’s Choir. Calvary Kids is a group from my church, Calvary Family Church. It was established in October 2006 and has over 100 members. Adonai Children’s Choir is an interdenominational group and it was set up in October 2010. I help strengthen their musical capacity and assist them to grow in the way of the Lord. I give the children an introduction to music education and vocal training. I pray and share the Word of God with them. Sometimes I do play with them. I am occasionally involved in meeting the personal needs of their families. I write some of their music (the Malawian/African traditional ones). We do both African and international music. We need to keep preserving our musical cultural heritage as Malawians and Africans, and one way of achieving this is to train the younger generation in this regard. They have performed at African Bible College, ICA Assemblies of God (Sheaffer), Sunbird Capital, Area 51 CFC, and Comesa Hall (twice).

I decided to focus on children because they are often sidelined.

Children have a lot of talent but most people in the entertainment sector do not nurture it. I would like to change that. I would like people in Malawi and beyond to realise that there is potential in children. Involving them gives them hope for the future as well as a sense of belonging and responsibility. They are tasked with making an impact on future generations and the best thing we can do is to teach them and share the knowledge we have so they help change their world someday.

Children can be difficult to work with…

But when God calls a person, He gives them the grace to fulfil that particular task. I love working with children and they love working with me too. I understand that they are children and human beings as well. I don’t expect them to behave as super humans. I too am not super human. We have to instill some discipline in them which will also help them in their future interventions and ministries whether musical or otherwise. In the time I have worked with them, their voices have improved tremendously, which is amazing to me as a teacher and mentor. For me this is serious and busy music ministry. The children keep me on my toes. I am working on an album which will possibly be released next year.

I quit my stable job at World Vision (as senior supply chain and contracts officer) to further my studies.

I needed to make this sacrifice to achieve that goal. I am studying for a degree in mass communication at African Bible College. I expect to graduate in June 2013. After that, I intend to continue with a master’s in Christian Leadership at the same college.

I am not one of those people that have organised days, but I manage to get things done.

I am not perfect at balancing everything I do with family and running the home. But over the years, I have seen the hand of the Lord in this regard.  The most important thing is to be who I need to be at any given time. At home, I am a mother, wife, aunt, sister, daughter and so on. Outside the home, I am a singer, mentor and mercy minister. Sticking to those roles helps me keep things in check.

I have learnt that some people will move through my life.

God will bring them into my life for a special task and once that is accomplished, they move on.  Of course, some are friends for life.  I have also learnt that the Christian walk has its ups and downs but these are stepping stones in our faith.  I have learnt that just like any other person, I get affected negatively and this is proof that I am not super human.  There are times that, after going through a dark spell, I wish I had reacted better than I did. I have learnt that life is full of challenges, but the Lord has always been by my side and those rough patches have strengthened me. Through the dark times, I have learnt to serve and love the Lord more. I can say like the Psalmist that if the Lord was not on my side, the enemies would have swallowed me alive.

My biggest weakness is also my biggest strength.

I love talking. This works to my advantage in that I am able to get it all out but also to my disadvantage because I might say too much.

My goal…

Is to establish a formal music academy and a charitable organisation.

 

 

Chimwemwe on growing up

Quite a few things stand out in my childhood memories. I remember the constant fights I usually had with my sister, Pastor Aida Kawalala.  I dreaded riding in a vehicle. I was afraid of flying for fear of getting involved in a crash. When I was a pupil at Likuni Girls, one of my friends told me some Form Two and Three girls were afraid of bullying me as they feared I would pray for them. I didn’t like pounding maize. We would go into the bushes to hunt for mice and often encountered snakes in the process.