Charles Charamba (born 27 April 1971) is a
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
an gospel musician and a former pastor in the Apostolic Faith Mission Church of Zimbabwe (AFM). He has since started his church. Charamba's albums have been the top selling gospel music in Zimbabwe since the early 2000s.
He has toured both Great Britain and the United States, and throughout southern Africa.
One of Charamba's most famous songs is "Machira Chete".
His wife, Olivia (née Maseko), is also a gospel singer, and appears with him on stage and on his albums; they are often called the "First Family of Gospel". According to Chinoitezvi Honour Charles charamba lives in The Surbub of Gunhill in Harare. His children are also talented in music.
Early life and education
Charamba was born in
Mudzi District
Mudzi District is a district of Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe, in southern Africa. It is located in the far eastern part of Zimbabwe, and covers , all of which is communal land. As of the 2012 census, the district had a population of 133,252, ...
, which is now in
Mashonaland East Province
Mashonaland East, informally Mash East, is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 32,230 km2 and a population of approximately 1.35 million (2012). Marondera is the capital of the province.
Geography
Districts
Mashonaland East i ...
.
He attended Masarakufa Primary School and Masarakufa Secondary School in Mudzi, completing his
O-Level
The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...
s.
In 1998, Charamba began his studies at the Living Waters Bible College in Tynwald, Harare, where he received his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in theology.
Well after his rise to gospel music stardom, he returned to college and in 2011 received a "National Certificate in Music" from the Zimbabwe College of Music.
In 2013, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in jazz from
Africa University
Africa University is a "private, Pan-African and United Methodist-related institution." It has over 1,200 students from 36 African countries. It is located 17 km northwest of Mutare, Zimbabwe. It grants bachelor's, master's and PhD degre ...
.
Fraud charges
In August 2004, Charamba along with his banker Sebastian Mupa at the
Agricultural Development Bank of Zimbabwe (Agribank) were charged with fraud in the execution of a $40 million loan, bail was eventually set at $1 million. However, after further investigation the charges were dropped.
Music
Charamba's gospel music contains elements of sungura,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
jit
Jit (also known as jiti, jit-jive and the Harare beat) is a style of popular Zimbabwean dance music. It features a swift rhythm played on drums and accompanied by a guitar. Jit evolved out many diverse influences, including domestic chimurenga, ...
.
It can be laid back, or vivid with traditional beats such as mbakumba and mhande.
Originally Charamba recorded on the Gramma Label. But after gaining sufficient capital, he built his own studio and began putting his albums out under his own label "Fishers of Men".
Songs
Charamba's hit songs include:
*"Machira Chete"
*"Sarudzai",
*"Masimba Ndeenyu",
*"Kumakomo Uko",
*"Handidi Naye",
*"Tauya Kuzomutenda".
*"Buruka"
*"Nyika
*"Mhinduro Iripo"
the calling of desciples
*"Abba Father"
Albums
Charamba's albums include:
* ''Tinashe Akatendeka'' (1997)
* ''Johanne 3:16'' (1998)
* Vhuserere (2000)
* ''Exodus'' (2001)
* ''Sunday Service'' (2002)
* '' Verses and Chapters'' (2004)
* ''New Testament in Song'' (2007)
* ''Pashoko Pangoma'' (2010)
* ''WeNazareta'' (2014)
* ''Abba Father'' (2017)
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charamba, Charles
1971 births
Living people
Zimbabwean musicians