Driven by faith, Tinashe Nyamukapa's story

To a contemporary artist like Tinashe Nyamukapa, Faith is the key to anything and everything in life and it is faith that has brought him thus far......faith in his God-given talent and true calling!

What better way to show faith than dropping your studies midway to pursue your one true calling? The dreadlocked musician did just that when he walked away from a banking degree to do music fulltime.

That bold decision seems to be paying off for the emerging artist as he continues to make inroads into the mainstream markert.

"I believe that everything begins and ends with faith, for, it is the foundation for all great things", he asserts.

Nyamukapa's last studio project, went a long way in cementing this assertion. Aptly titled 'Dare To Believe', the 15-track album , which the artist said was inspired by "the need to live a life of faith" was officially made available on the market late last year and is doing relatively well for the musician.

"Faith was the main theme. As the album title might suggest, it challenges one to dare to take a step of faith. In one's life, it challenges you to hold on to God's promises despite contrary evidence and to run to the Lord, the strong refuge in times of trouble", he said.

Titles to some of the songs include Munondipa Simba, Tomurumbidza, Hold On (featuring Dr Comfort Manyame), Mhanya (featuring Isheanesu Chikoto), Ngaanamatwe, Muri Bako (featuring Denzel Chivare), Have Faith and Fear Not, among others.

Nyamukapa of course made his debut in 2014 with the album, 'When We Pray' and most music fans will be familiar with his hit song, 'Prayer for Zim', a powerful and spiritually-nourishing track that featured Dr Comfort Manyame.

According to the Harare-based artist, he started taking music seriously in 2009 after having left his studies to pursue music professionally (a decision most people never understood until they heard and felt the passion in his music).

He however only started recording professionally in 2014. Prior to 2014, Nyamukapa's focus had been just teaching music and working as a musician in a prominent church in Harare but fate had other plans.

Being a tutor means that the musician has the chance to also impart knowledge and skills on the next generation of stars as it is through music that he hopes to make a difference and leave his mark on the world.

"Teaching music is basically my main job. I teach piano,drums,guitar, vocals and music theory.

"Through music, I want to inspire people to believe, encourage peace and harmony but most of all to reach the global market and make them want our sound", he said.

We asked him where the inspiration for his own songs came from and this is what he had to say;

"The main motivation behind my music is The Lord and I draw inspiration for my songs from everyday life experiences.

"Movies are also a great source for inspiration for me. I am a fan of movies. Watching a good movie has inspired quite a bit of my songs", said Nyamukapa.

Fans can look forward to more inspirational songs from the Tinashe come the festive season as he is set to drop his third studio album.

"I will be working on a brand new album called 'Sound Of Heaven' in 2017. I might release it late 2017 ( November or December which is when I usually release my projects ). I will also be releasing some videos from my 2 previous albums", he said.

The musician went on to add that the album, which is to be produced by Simba Moyo will be made available to all the radio stations and record stores so as to make sure that the messages of hope in his music are shared nationwide and even beyond.