Educational Media Reviews Online

This film tells the story of musician Machanic Manyeruke, the “father of the gospel music in Zimbabwe” through the context to his 2018 Hope for Zimbabwe concert. Manyeruke came to gospel music when he met a member of the Salvation Army. While Manyeruke was not active in this Christian organization at the time, this encounter led to his involvement, and eventual break-through hit, at a time when gospel music was not popular in Zimbabwe.

Manyeruke’s wife, Hellena, and his family feature prominently in the film. The Manyerukes are shown as caregivers for a family which includes not only their relatives, but also fellow musicians. Manyeruke’s relatives include his son, Emmanuel, a dancehall artist known as Guspy Warrior. Despite father and son’s different musical styles, they both take the stage together at the 2018 Hope for Zimbabwe concert as an act of for unity a country during a time of transition.

While the film emphasizes Machanic Manyeruke’s personal life, experts like biographer Bornwell Choga, who provides the quote above, inform the film with information about Manyeruke as a musician. Equally of note are moments that depict the intersection between Christianity and Shona culture. This is important, and could have been further expanded, because gospel music from Zimbabwe may not be a genre that is well-known to viewers.

This film is recommended for university libraries and public libraries for those interested in African Studies, Music, and Religion, specifically the intersection of music, Christianity, and Zimbabwe in the twentieth and twenty-first century.

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