HARARE - Gospel sensation, Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave’s long awaited eight-track album Wenyasha Ndewenyasha is to be finally released on Friday.

Emmanuel Vori, the managing director at Ngaavongwe records confirmed the development.

“The album is now complete and on Friday it will be out,” said Vori who failed to give reasons for the delay as Fungisai had announced its release three months ago.

In an interview with the Daily News early August, Fungisai said her album was ready for release. “We are already done with the recording, we are now doing final touches to the album, very soon it will be on air,” she said then.

Yesterday, Mashavave was bitter that her album was taking too long to hit the market. “We finished working on the album three months ago but I do not know what is holding it,” she said.

The new album features fellow gospel musician Blessing Shumba whom Mashavave says is her uncle.

“I am featuring Shumba who is my blood relative, baba vake naambuya vangu ndevemhuri imwe (his father and my paternal grandmother are siblings). Music runs in our family,” said Fungisai.

The album also features David Mabvuramiti, a song expert who once performed with the late Paul Matavire.

“Mabvuramiti sang with Matavire when they were at Jairos Jiri. He is also featured on the new album,” she said.

Mashavave said the new album contains her original type of music. “I only used Chikende and Chimurenga beats which are originally Zimbabwean.”

The first song focuses on domestic tourism awareness. “The song creates awareness for local tourists that it is not only international tourists who can boost our economy. Domestic tourists have not been celebrated of late — that is why I put it into song,” said the diva.

There is also a song which talks about HIV.

“The song is based on the Unaids theme which is "Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero Aids related deaths."

It urges Zimbabweans to believe that as a nation we can do it and have an HIV-free generation,” she said. - Kaleen Gombera