Pastor Charamba labels Jah Signal’s song ‘Stonyeni’ ‘blasphemous’

By Christina De Klerk

Gospel music supremo and clergyman Pastor Charles Charamba is at loggerheads with dancehall music sensation Jah Signal over the later ‘s rendition of his song ‘Kana Vanhu Vangu’ popularly known as Stonyeni because of the catchy punchline that has become new lingua across the social strata, Zim Morning Post can reveal.

Jah Signal told Zim Morning Post that Charamba did not respond to him when he sought consent to record the rendition.

“Pastor Charamba is an icon and I’m a great fan of his music, that is why I did the song, but when he heard the song he was not impressed at all,” said Jah Signal.

According to Jah Signal’s manage Hillary Mutake his artiste did not violate any copyright laws.

“When he found out about the song, he contacted us and said he was not comfortable with his music being associated with secular musicians and we understood that, but it’s not illegal to incorporate a small piece of someone else’s music into your own song without permission, however I would please appreciate it if we let sleeping dogs lie because we don’t want to open old wounds,” he said.

In an exclusive interview to Zim Morning Post this week, Pastor Charamba said the lyrical content was blasphemous and he discouraged Jah Signal from recording it and he prays for divine intervention to save the young musician.

“ I never spoke to him after release. They texted me seeking consent and I advised them not to go ahead after sampling the lyrics. I discouraged them to do so not just on the basis that it was my melody but mostly because I sensed danger. To me the rendition is not ordinary joke or parody but blasphemy ,” he said.

He said as an elder it is his role to counsel young musicians to stand guided by morality test in their lyrical content.

“I really expressed reservations as an elder who should counsel the promising class of youngsters. When someone changes the whole scope and meaning of a Christian song that would have been composed for worship and souls-winning, I am not the one seriously offended but God , in my view. I thank God that I advised against such before release, I pray that he be forgiven by God, he is such a promising artiste,’ said Charamba.

However, this is not the first time that Charamba’s music has been adopted and adapted by youthful artistes.

King Shaddy rose to fame through Charamba’s compositions.

Meanwhile, Jah Signal is basking in the glory of his latest album and has been doing a lot of live perfomances. ZimmorningPost