The Trust has for the past six months been planning a musical album promoting libraries and reading as part of its advocacy and fundraising initiatives. The Chaendera Sisters have joined other musicians who include Pastor Charles Charamba, Jeys Marabini, Sandra Ndebele, Evans Farai Mudzengerere, RantoBokgo, Oliver Mtukudzi, the trust’s Goodwill Ambassador Leonard Karikoga Zhakata and New Zealand’s Jesse O’brien, a trustee of the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust New Zealand, are the other musicians who are expected to contribute songs to the album.
The Chaendera Sisters were touched by media stories about the trust’s effort to cultivate a reading culture in rural Zimbabwe and offered their services to do a song encouraging children to read. The younger of the Chaendera Sisters, 17 year old Chenai, revealed in a recent interview that they had already developed the lyrics and were rearing to go “We have developed the lyrics which fit very well with our beat, but the trust is struggling to raise the money needed for us to hire instrumentalists and paying for studio time. We felt the trust’s push for a reading culture is one that no reasonably thinking human being should ignore, and offer to contribute a song upon realising that they wanted to use music to spread their message”.
The due is riding on the success of new singles, “Ruvara” and “Ndega Musango”, taken off their upcoming album “Ruvara” which is due for release soon.
In April this year, Leonard Zhakata’s fans collected from among themselves over $600 towards Zhakata’s songs on the album. The money was handed over to the trust at a colourful ceremony presided over by the Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima. Gospel musician Pastor Charles Charamba is taking care of all costs involved in the production of his song expected on the forthcoming album.
Music has a special way of disseminating information to the population. In a recent survey by a ZRSLT trustee, slightly over sixty one percent of librarians said music was an effective tool for library advocacy, development and promotion.
Well-wishers can donate through the trust’s EcoCash Account 0783708258 (for payments within Zimbabwe or 263 783708258 (payments made from outside Zimbabwe)
Post published in: News