HARARE – Legendary Zimbabwe gospel musician and devout Christian Mechanic Manyeruke Wednesday appeared endorsing his musician son Guspy Warrior’s seedy Zimdancehall lyrics and genre, telling a live radio audience he had no qualms with the Seunononga chanter deviating from his rich gospel legacy for secular music.
Manyeruke, 80, was being featured in a StarFM radio programme which was hosted by Owen Madondo, Ollah 7.
The respected musician has carved out a rich gospel music legacy spanning over decades.
Perhaps following in his footsteps is one of his sons, Alexander who sings gospel music but is not as popular as his father and younger brother, Guspy Warrior, 32, some of whose lyrics border on immorality and glorifying the taking of dagga.
In the hit song, Seunononga, the dancehall chanter calls on a female dancing mate to bend forward while rubbing her behind on his front in a popular but raunchy dancing stance commonly known in street language as “kuwaina”.
Asked how he felt about Guspy Warrior – born Emmanuel Manyeruke – choosing to sing secular music often popular with sleazy ghetto life, the elder Manyeruke said he did not subscribe to the idea of parents imposing careers and life choices on their offspring.
“When kids are growing up, we as parents often ask them what they wished to pursue in their adult life and quite often we advise them on the hazards of their chosen careers,” Manyeruke said while speaking in Shona.
“But what we do not do is to impose our own choices over theirs because if that fails, you will ever remain bitter with them.
“So, let them be free to choose careers but when they deviate from the moral path, you must be there to remind them of the correct way of life.”
Manyeruke said Guspy Warrior was a young man who found Zimdancehall appropriate for his own age and that of the contemporary audience.
The music sensation said he was happy that his son did not abandon church although often being forced to skip sermons to attend shows.
Guspy is now a devoted Rastafarian who has stopped eating meat in line with the Jamaican religious and political movement’s custom.
Manyeruke said it was inappropriate for family to interfere with his son’s dietary choices, adding, jokingly, that this saves the family the financial burden of buying him meat when he visits.
