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Brian Sibalo is one of Zimbabwean gospel music’s timeless legends.
Sibalo’s story is a tragic case of the chemistry between beauty and brevity.
Although he remains one of the finest psalmists ever to emerge from the country, his music has sadly lapsed into oblivion, 17 years after his death at 32 in 1997.
Thankfully, Sibalo’s family recently hinted on enlisting gospel artists to unearth his trove with cover versions of his forgotten jams.
While older telly viewers are familiar with the video “Tinokutendai Ishe” from Ezomgido, Sibalo was the genius behind such hit albums as “Revival Time,” “Busa Nkosi,” “Thula Moya,” and “Ndiri Mufambi.”
The gospel prodigy, who also presented a Radio 3 (now Power FM) programme “Beats with a Message,” set out in 1983 at a time when the music industry was predominantly secular, with gospel songs confined to churches, funerals, weddings and other social events.
Back in the day, it was normal for gospel shows to be held in Harare within a space of five years.
Sibalo joined a shorthanded group of gospel pioneers including Freedom Sengwayo, Jordan Chataika and Machanic Manyeruke in popularising the genre into the mainstream arena.
At the time of his death, he was working on “Busa Nkosi.” Peter Mparutsa had to complete the production, with Sibalo’s younger brother, Daniel, now an artist in his own right, taking over lead the vocals.
I recently caught up with family spokesperson Ndabe Sibalo for insight into Brian’s career and the ongoing project.
“As a family we feel his music touched a lot of people and we have been pressured by mounting requests on social media to release a compilation of his beloved hits,” Ndabe said.
Sibalo’s musical journey, Ndabe intimated, steamed off at five when he got his first guitar from his father.
“However, a career in the mainstream industry was not that easy for him. He started out rather early (remember he was only eighteen when he recorded his first album) and had to brave being compared with already established acts such as Sengwayo, Chataika and Manyeruke,” said Ndabe.
“He began working with the Golden Gospel Sounds a group made up of the Manyame siblings in 1994 and recorded four albums with them under ZMC. Those were the years of Oh Hallelujah, Sizofika Ezulwini, I Believe in the Power of Prayer and Thuma Mina,” he said.
Sibalo suffered an early setback when his label ZMC charged that his first album, “Oh Hallelujah” flopped because he was imitating pioneer gospel musician Freedom Sengwayo.
Far from being doused, Sibalo later broke ranks with the label and went on drop hit after hit under a new stable, RTP.
“Sizofika Ezulwini” secured a distinctive niche for Sibalo. The album embodied a range of genius which jazz columnist Terrence Mapurisana often called “rich, silky, and deeply passionate voice.”
“The early albums were warmly received by the majority of congregants from our church, the Apostolic Faith Mission in Africa because of the church’s influence in his music,” said Ndabe.
“Brian’s work ZESA soon moved him to Harare. This gave him the opportunity to work with session artists, hence allowed him to change his stable and move to RTP where he teamed up Ray Makahamadze, Bothwell Nyamondera and Peter Mparutsa.
“Ndiri Mufambi (I’m a Pilgrim) was recorded with his new stable well received by the public. A fistful more albums followed in which Brian collaborated with Isaac Chirwa, Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, Jerry Nyatoro, Sam Mataure and Clency Mbirimi and several other artists.
Sibalo was committed to charity and devoted a number of concerts to the benefit of disadvantaged children. He advised fellow gospel artists not to be tossed away from the evangelical commission through the love of money.
“Brian loved children and embraced any opportunity to play for them just for the pleasure of it without claiming payment. That’s why, for instance, you hear him singing Ofanana Naye with the kids on his album Jerusalem
“Although music could not pay him back in monetary terms, Brian just sang from his love for Christ. Fortunately, he was blessed to with a good job as a training officer and used his own resources to finance his music without any outside incentive, though the going was not exactly easy.
“I cannot honestly remember a time when Brian sang to make money, though money was needed to pay for recordings and related expenses. Even up to now it’s not easy for us as a family to chase for his royalties be we feel he never sang for money and we should not be seen to run around for the money now that he is no longer with us.
“Brian fell ill and passed on in 1997. A great admirer of Jimmy Swaggart and Andrea Crouch, he passed on while watching a televised sermon by Swaggart called The Healing of a Nobleman’s Son,” Ndabe said.