the Music Journey of Roil BAA People’s Choice Award Winner: Mai Mwamuka
25 March 2022
Charlene Thabisile Mguni
Mai Mwamuka is a powerful woman whose strength resonates from more in preaching the word of God through music.
Margaret Mwamuka oftenly referred to as Mai Mwamuka is a mother, an elder and music minister at her church Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa, (ZAOGA). She is also marriage counselor, an author and gospel singer and songwriter.
Mwamuka’s musical journey started a long time ago, from singing in church to singing at funerals until at the age of 50 when she decided to record her music and share it with the rest of the world.
“When I turned 50 in 2016, I realised I was carrying something which I started being a bit agey and anxious that when I stand before the judgement seat of Christ and he is reconciling the accounts of gifting as according to Matthew chapter 25, where people were given gifts according to their talents,but when He came out to check how they had used their talents, another one who had not used their talent was condemned and doomed.So I was already using my talents but from the reports I was getting from people when I sang at church or funerals, I’d see that there was something in my singing that was of God…therefore I felt the need to package my music to the world and use my talent”.
In 2017 December, Mwamuka released her first album The Highly Lifted Up album and it won her first award at the Royal BAA, as the best Gospel Act.
In 2018 she recorded a single called Panenyasha and it won her another award at SKYMA awards in the year 2019.
Mwamuka says that she draws her motivation from God, who gave her the gift to sing.
“My motivation is God Himself who according to the word of God, he tells us in the book of Philippians, that God is working in us both to will and to do according to his good pleasure, so I believe my motivation is God himself by calling”, she said.
She also added that the music motivation came from growing up in a musical family and support from her church, which encouraged her to be at her best.
Mai Mwamuka’s music has gone and reached even radio stations in America, it is being played through out many African countries and topping the Zimbabweans radio stations.
Last year her song Totenda Jeso topped the Classic 263 charts becoming the song of year in their Top 30.
ZiFM also named her one of the Artist of the Artists with her album Jesu.
However Covid-19 affected all industries and everyone, and Mai Mwamuka was affected by the crush of the pandemic.
“Covid-19 delayed everything, it slowed down everything, projects took longer to be realised. Even interms of income, we couldn’t do much, even to go on social media to pay for a live session , you will be shocked that sometimes the money was not there.” said Mai Mwamuka.
She added, “However we thank God that things have opened up now and Covid-19 brought us the opportunity to be singing songs that comfort people through the situations that they came through, including my song Rumbidza unobuda.
In 2021 Mai Mwamuka again won the Roil BAA award for the Best Gospel act and The People’s choice Award.
The People’s Choice Award is an award that is open to all categories, where voters vote for their ultimate favourite act.
The People’s Choice Award was the biggest accolade, as Mai Mwamuka won herself a residential stand at Cowdray Park.
The residential stand is a 200square meter stand and sponsors have poured out from all angles to help her build the house.
Builder’s choice, Mash paints, Plan and steel, are amongst the companies that are working on building her house.
Mai Mwamuka is now working towards her next album which will be released in August and working on a single, which the date will be adviced soon.