PROPHET Passion Java is a man mired deep in controversy;
his life is a bewildering case of extreme ironies that make many people
question whether he fits the moral compass of a cleric.Snippets of him dancing,
singing along to dirty lyrics and partying with non-Christians have inundated
the internet of late.
However, despite all the mysterious activities, one thing
has become clear and that is the fact that the showy prophet has a profound
interest in the arts and music in particular although it is uncertain why.
Two weeks ago, in scenes fit for a Hollywood script, he
stormed Harare from the United States for the local leg of his 32nd birthday
celebrations and as anticipated, the welcome event was attended by celebrities
from across the spectrum including Chillspot Records.
In turn, the man, who has been influencing a lot of pop
culture including street lingo, did not disappoint as he splashed cash in what
was to become the hallmark of his presence during his brief stay in the
country.
While in Harare, he hosted Twabam Nyama, a music concert
where revellers got to watch different Zimdancehall acts, ate free meat and
drink all sorts of liquids for free at Alex Sports Club. Not a single word from
the Bible was shared. Instead, the event ended in chaos.
He may have made up for it on the next day when he held a
night of worship at 7 Arts Theatre with Zimpraise Choir singing before he took
to the podium to preach.
That is the schedule of a man strangely enjoying the best
of both worlds, that is, Christianity and the secular side.Whatever his
intentions, Java’s interest in Zimdancehall has started raising eyebrows and
that is because he seems too vested for someone not benefitting anything.
Recently, he shot down reports that he had given Chillspot
a hefty pay out to sign star chanter Enzo Ishall under his Passion Java Records
(PJR), but the lie failed to hold after it later emerged that he also signed
South Africa-based Buffalo Soulja.
When questioned over his benevolence to artistes, Java
claimed that he was just offering a helping hand, but it is the publicity
around the assistance that has made many view the man as a culture vulture
seeking to amass prominence by associating with famous names in music circles.
Further fuelling this insinuation is the anomaly of having
a perceived man of the cloth not only dining with artistes pursuing a secular
message but also bankrolling them.
“I don’t like church people, I don’t like people who
pretend to be holy, I don’t want people who try to walk like a god, I want
people who are themselves,” says Java in a YouTube video posted in 2015.
While launching PJR back then, he said the label, which
came as a God-inspired vision in 2003, was meant to “remove all these things”
caused by secular music.
“One thing about Passion Java Records, I met Lil Wayne in
Brooklyn in the States and I told him I am opening a recording company that is
going to remove all these things that you are doing because Jesus Christ is
taking over,” he said.
“With Passion Java Records we are taking over, it might be
in hip hop, sungura (and) in whatever music.”Back then he worked with hip hop’s
renowned producer Take Fizzo and gospel rapper Mudiwa Hood among others, but
now he has switched to Zimdancehall chanters who have proved more popular among
urbanites.
If done in a sincere manner, this indeed could be a
masterstroke for the man of the cloth.However, his current approach where they
sing him praises raises more questions than answers as he now appears to have
immersed himself too deep into the culture, ostensibly aborting the soul
winning mission.
“How can you get them to where you are if you are not where
they are? You have to be wise like a snake and be gentle like a dove in order
to win souls for Christ,” he told journalists at Twabam Nyama.
“The first miracle Jesus performed was changing water into
wine so that he could attract drunkards and preach to them. People need to
understand that times are changing. We used to hold crusades with tents outside
but things have changed and people have to follow the season,” Java said.
While it may be very hard to state exactly what Java’s end
goal is, some clerics like Walter Magaya and T Freddy have been accused of
using musicians to attract attention to their projects.
The former is said to attract more people to his church
through live music shows while the later jump-started his gospel career after
funding artistes.
Ultimately, only time will tell if Java is just a culture
vulture or a genuine man on a divine assignment of soul winning. Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment