Fungisai now a prophetess?
By Bruce Ndlovu
Gospel musician Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave has reportedly joined the ranks of artistes that balance music and ministry, as she is now a prophetess under Ezekiel and Euna Guti’s Forward in Faith Ministries.
When she announced that she was re-branding and would release the name under the moniker of the biblical Phoebe many thought that it would start and end there, however, she seems to have gone further by going full time into ministry.
In a career that has not been short of drama, this latest move will come as a surprise to fans that thought Fungisai had lost her gospel roots during her flirtation with dancehall music two years ago. Despite releasing compelling music that earned her plaudits and awards, Fungisai was blasted in some quarters for changing her sound and style.
However, the songbird last year revealed to the media on the eve of the release of her nine-track album, Songs of Devotion that she had a Damascus moment after an encounter Euna Guti.
“Fungisai has been my music business brand and Phoebe is now my music spiritual brand. It is synonymous with the Biblical Phoebe found in Romans 16 verse 1-2. It means Pure and Bright. It was inspired by Guti when she prophesied into my life some time last year. Then, I didn’t believe her until the Holy Spirit moved like fire in my hands at the Today’s Woman Conference last month.
“This album comes when I had given up on music. Just when I thought I was done with music, the Holy Spirit himself put nine songs in my heart and I couldn’t shut them in. It would have been a disservice to the Christian community,” she said.
However, in an interview with Sunday Life this week, Zvakavapano was cagey about her new-found role in church.
“That’s a very tricky question,” she said when asked if she was now indeed a prophetess. “I feel like I have always been in ministry so I cannot really answer that question sincerely,” she said.
The gospel star said that although re-branding to Phoebe seemed a bolt out of the blue when she announced it last year, the name was one she had always carried secretly.
“A person can have two names. If one name is Nyarai and another is Fungisai you don’t stop being Nyarai just because everyone calls you by another name. What other people call you becomes a matter of choice in such cases. I have always been Phoebe,” she said.
The gospel singer added that she was preparing for the release of a video for one of the songs from her previous album, while a summer single will be released later in the year. The Sunday News
