Female artistes in Zimbabwe struggle a lot to make a mark in the industry compared to their male counterparts due to a lot of reasons.
Careers of a number of female acts suffer premature deaths after they get married as their newly acquired roles as wives force them out of the public space to focus more on family matters.
However, they are a few lucky ladies in Zimbabwe who have very supportive husbands – these gentlemen know how to make their partners shine in the arts.
One such man is Munyaradzi Manyowa, husband to award-winning gospel singer, Janet Manyowa.
Towering over his wife, you see him at almost all events his wife will be performing at acting like her personal shield and you can tell she loves it given the bright smile smacked on her face.
Big Munya as some call him in the gospel music circles goes all out to promote his wives music. He even has a billboards reserved to promotes Janet’s music in strategic areas.
Zimbo Jam spoke to the cool dude and he revealed a bit about himself and what drives him to invest so much in his wife.
“My love for music started when I still very young,” said Big Munya. “I had a huge collection of LP’s and cassettes and would always imitate the radio presenters of yesteryear.”
The Gifford High School alumni said his love for music developed further to the extent that he started analysing charts.
“I moved to Harare from Bulawayo and joined one of the top audit firms. It was at this point I began analyzing and studying music trends such as Billboards, case studies, journals and the like.
“Studying the trends caused me to develop interest in music marketing and management. At one point, I used to produce the ZiFM Stereo gospel show,” he revealed.
The man whose roots run from Zvishavane says in his pare time he listens to a lot of music, and recently started to write songs.
One would wonder why Munya invests so much in his wife especially in an environment where a lot of musicians struggle to get returns on investment.
Responded Munya: “I have understood the gift and calling that Janet has, hence the reason we have invested time and resources in Janet Manyowa music.
“I believe God put us together for a purpose, two people both passionate about His music. As a couple we should be in a place of building each other’s dreams and not pulling each other down.
“Though the economy has got its challenges, we strive for the best. We should not grow weary of doing good especially in the Kingdom of God. We are part of something that is far bigger than ourselves. Though it is ministry and we are constantly sowing, we believe some day we will reap from where we have sown.”
The man who also loves swimming and travelling said he wish he could do more to promote his wife’s music besides the boosted posts on social media platforms, billboards in the streets and flying with her to record with hotshots in Mzansi.
“I am very big on advertising as I believe it unlocks value in a brand and the billboards were just part of our advertising strategy. From the school of thought I come from, there is nothing called over advertising, all advertising and promotions will create significant impressions somehow.
“I wish we could do more! The business side of Janet Manyowa Music will eventually be able to sustain all that we do. We have been on a positive trajectory. Its all for the Kingdom of God and we are very encouraged when we hear how the music is touching people’s lives and for this our Lord and Saviour is magnified,” he explained.
Big Munya encouraged other husbands with wives who have a passion of the arts to support their partners.
“It’s very important to first try and understand the gifts and aspirations your spouse has. That way you are in a better position to support and add value. The bible says two are better than one for they have a better return for their labour. When we build each other up, greater things happen,” shared Munya.
