Zimbabwe: Choir to Celebrate Hammond's Music

Zimbabwe: Choir to Celebrate Hammond's Music

	Published by the government of Zimbabwe

The Herald (Harare)

2 November 2007
Posted to the web 2 November 2007

Richmore Tera
Harare

New Life Covenant Church's choir - the Covenant Praise -- will tomorrow celebrate United States' internationally acclaimed gospel musician, Fred Hammond's music at the Harare Gardens concert.

Dubbed "Celebrating the Music of a Great Legend", the concert that will feature local gospel artistes Pastor G and Prince Mafukidze starts at 6pm and ends at 9pm. The event initially billed to be held in Harare Gardens, has changed venue. It will now be held at New Life Covenant Church, 55 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, with the date and time remaining the same as previously advertised in the Press.

Pastor G in the gospel circles, is popular for his fusion of rap and hip-hop symphonies that borrow heavily from American trends and gives a Zimbabwean touch that appeals largely to the younger generation. Prince Mafukidze is not a new name to gospel music and his inclusion on the line-up is likely to add flavour to the concert. Born in Detroit, Michigan in the United States, Hammond started singing and playing the bass guitar at a very tender age. Years later, between 1984-5, he became a member of The Winans and the Commissioned for which he played the bass guitar.

While with The Commissioned, Hammond recorded 10 albums before he went on to launch his own outfit Radical for Christ.

In 2002 the musician - who has sold millions of albums on top of winning several gospel music awards including the Dove, Stellar and Grammy awards - produced for his former group Commissioned the self-titled album, Commissioned Reunion Live.