Zimbabwean award-winning gospel diva Janet Manyowa is one of the celebrated flourishing gospel artists of our generation.
Her songs have compulsively singable melodies and are easy to teach amateurs. Her lyrics are earnest statements of affection toward the divine being. She writes sincerely in a way that would strike a universal chord in both believers and unbelievers, and her discography is replete with collaborations each reflective of how accessible she is.
Born March 18, 1985 to the Manyeza family, she was always destined to be a game-changer. Her parents identified her zeal and passion that they sent her to music school at the age of ten. Blessed with a beautiful vocal register, it was only at thirteen when she composed her first meaningful song entitled Mubatsiri.
Relentless and going stronger, she attended Sandrigham High School where she started leading her peers in praise and worship sessions. Fairly a new phenomenon in the field and in possession of an inescapable flare, she started receiving invitations to sing at other churches, colleges and other events.
In 2008 she joined the Celebration Choir as a vocalist and since then she has continually been involved in the choir’s recording.
It was therefore in 2014 that she contemplated on taking it to the studio as a solo and as privileged as she has always been, her career kicked off on a high note with a collaboration from the USA-based gospel icon Dr Comfort Manyame. The single, her debut, was entitled Amazing God and it was received with so much positivity.
She followed that with another single Ndomira Pamuri which won an award for the best video, and then in August 2015 she officially released her debut eleven-track album King Of Glory. The album aftermath saw the young and beautiful diva bagging in a lot of awards, a very big endorsement to her God-given, magical voice.
Now making her return in 2017, she unveiled a juggernaut single Zadzisa which paves way for her upcoming sophomore album expected to be out by the end of the year. The chart-topping song now has a scorching video shot and directed by Andy Cutta and it is a beautiful, purposeful and declarative song that once again proves why Janet is considered amongst the top artists in the genre. Challenging God to fulfil his promises, it is a well-crafted song with impeccable vocals. It’s worship epitomized in a song and praise personified in lyrics.
What’s really exciting about Janet’s music is that she’s not only celebrated in Zimbabwe but is now a crossover artist who even penetrate the other sides of the border. Recently she has been nominated for the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards on their prestigious Best of Africa Gospel category. Well, a quick rundown on the history of World Gospel Powerhouse will show you that their nominations only comes to major players.
And in light of that achievement and others, we can boldly declare that she is tipped to be the next big thing in Zimbabwean gospel music.
