Zambians mourn gospel singer popular in churches and clubs

Some of Zambia’s top musicians have performed at a concert to mourn 46-year-old gospel singer Matthew Ngosa, a day before his burial in the capital, Lusaka.

The audience joined in to belt out his beloved hits at the Praise Christian Centre.

Such was the popularity of some of his songs that they were not only played in churches but also in nightclubs over a two-decade career.

The venue in Lusaka was packed with fans, friends, family and government officials. His older brother Boyd, also a musician – popularly known as BJ – led mourners.

Matthew started out singing with BJ and his younger brother Hezron when they were still at high school, often singing a cappella.

They knew they wanted to make a career out of their music – not an easy ambition in a country where piracy means most musicians get little money from their music.

Matthew and Hezron formed a duo called The Ezma Brothers within a larger group known as The Tribe Called Christians.

Later, at Lusaka’s Northmead Assemblies of God Church, Matthew joined The Christ Ambassador Choir, where he polished his skills.

In 2004 he released his highly successful debut album Umutima Wandi (My Heart), which dominated music charts.

Gospel hits including Ukulolela (Waiting) and Ndakunkula (Rolling to God in Praise) followed – those two also becoming anthems for clubbers.

Matthew Ngosa never made it rich, but was able to make a decent living from his hits before he was diagnosed with liver cancer in January.

He died two days before he had been due to return to India for a check-up.

Hezron told the BBC he would miss his brother’s sense of humour: “He would go out of his way to make people happy. He was very strong even in sickness. He was a man of faith.”

This generosity of spirit was echoed by gospel musician Kings Mumbi.

“To me, he was a mentor. When I recorded my first song, I took it to him to critique and that’s why I have never gone astray. He was more than a brother,” he told the BBC.

“When a pastor invited Matthew Ngosa to their church to sing but couldn’t pay him, he would not bother that pastor because for Matthew, singing was part of his ministry. He took it as a way of spreading the word of God.”

The development of Zambia’s music industry may suffer from piracy, but most Christians prefer buying original albums directly from the musicians as a way of promoting the growth of gospel music.

Others believe that buying pirated gospel music is a sin that is tantamount to theft.

“Your untimely death has crushed me, and broken the hearts of believers and shocked an entire nation,” televangelist and former Vice-President Nevers Mumba posted on Facebook after Ngosa’s death was announced on Friday.

“My only consolation is that I know you will announce your arrival in heaven from Zambia in style. As you walk through that golden door, I can almost hear you singing with all the power that your vocal cords can manage.”

His words reflect the outpouring of grief for Ngosa in Zambia, a largely Christian country where church attendance is high.

President Hakainde Hichilema conveyed his message of condolences to the family while his predecessor Edgar Lungu visited the funeral house on Saturday.

Ngosa, who had two daughters with Tasila Ngombe, once served as a civic leader in Mr Lungu’s party, the Patriotic Front.

BJ told the BBC that their mother Samaria Maswela was fundamental to all three of the Ngosa brothers’ careers.

“She used to sing in church and her own mother and father used to sing as well. Our mother is the one who introduced us to Sunday school music in the United Church of Zambia [UCZ] when we were still kids.”

She joined BJ on stage towards the end of the three-hour concert on Sunday, with other tearful family members, to sing Matthew’s classic Umutima Wandi – a praise song in the Bemba language, thanking God for life’s blessings.