By Takemore Chikweza
In a sermon broadcast from Masvingo, His Grace Bishop Mutendi explained to congregants the importance of the church’s traditional praise song, Ndire Ndire, saying they need to give importance to praise and worship for converting new believers.
“Do not hide this historically important Zion song, Ndire Ndire, for it expresses a craving to understand God’s greatness and comforts the soul,” the leader of the biggest independent denomination in Zimbabwe told the church members.
He said the Babylonians who were once the captors of the Jews, asked their captives to sing the devotional song of Zion, By the Rivers of Babylon, that expressed their yearning for freedom from exile as read on Psalms 137 vs 3.
The 81-year-old cleric told the congregants of a woman who foretold to the late patriarch of the Zion Christian Church, Reverend Samuel Mutendi, in the 1920s, that the Zion song, Ndire Ndire, would someday be performed across the world’s borders.
He told the congregants that when the church’s brass band ensemble performed the song on the streets of London in 2014, passers-by marvelled at its timbre, despite not understanding the Shona psalms.
When it was also played in China, the locals enjoyed this song of Zion.
He added that the day ZCC members stop to sing the old song of Zion, their important work of converting new souls to Christ would be affected, because the song turns souls to Christ.
Zion must reach the uttermost parts of the world as Christ commanded us to go and convert, baptize and make disciples of all nations and baptizing them in the name of Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit, he explained.
Ndire Ndire is one of the church’s old vocal hymns that is sung accompanied by a soulful notation of drumming, cymbals, whistling, ululating and energetic dance.
Often sung by seasoned performers, the use of allegory and metaphor gives the lead singer the freedom to narrate the history of ZCC and of Christian sacrifice, in the process inspiring congregations.
It is also performed with the accompaniment of brass band instruments and is usually the grand finale in praise and worship sessions before the ZCC service.
Meanwhile, Ndire Ndire was played on Musina FM radio station on Sunday 11 April, and is sometimes played on SABC, South Africa’s national broadcaster.