Namatayi Chipanga: Talks on being a musician and a worshipper

Namatayi Chipanga: Talks On Being A Musician and A Worshipper

This week we spend some time as Tehillah Worship (TW) with Namatayi  Chipanga (NC) as we spoke about being  professional musician and being a worshipper.

TW: Tell us about Namatayi Chipanga
NC: My name is Namatayi Mubariki-Chipanga, born in Zambia, Livingstone. I’m Christian, a Musician and a wife – married to Charles Chipanga (the marimba maestro). I’m a vocalist, worship leader and percussionist playing instruments such as ngoma, hosho, congas and mbira which I have managed to blend them in my music. My heart is to mentor and grow women artists and with my husband we have established in Zimbabwe the Gospel Hub which is an initiative to provide a forum for Christian Artists to help develop and present original live music.

TW: Tell us about your music and why you choose to include marimba in your music.
NC: My music is percussive wooden sound with a touch of jazz and inspiring evangelistic message preparing the world for the second coming of Christ. We chose to have a marimba because it identifies with us as Zimbabweans, it’s always good to present your music in a way that you don’t struggle to express yourself.

TW: We have often defined worship as those medium-slow paced songs that we sing but what really is worship to you.
NC: Worship doesn’t have anything to do with the speed of the song or the mood, it has everything to do with being selfless and to esteem God highly. When you worship, you have to suddenly remove “I” and replace with “YOU” but above all it is a lifestyle of thanksgiving to the Maker of Heaven and Earth despite what you are going through in life. True worship comes from God and goes back to God.

TW: What are some of the things that  as a worship leader you would love to see developed in the Church in terms of worship..
NC: In churches, it would help if all leaders may understand that worship is not a time pusher for the pastor to come with the word later. Worship is the greatest part of the service where God says He dwells in. God never said He dwells in prayer or in the preaching of the word. God dwells in the praises of His people, so may we honour the worship time and may the Worshippers be given time to usher people into the Holly of Hollies and enjoy God’s manifest presence. It’s simply a ministry that must be given its full requirements in order to get the best out of it. Get good sound system, good instrument players, accord them time for practice and prayer then you will see how the church develops in worship

TW: I understand you are a worship leader in your church, how then do you draw the line between serving God & being a musician by profession?
NC: A profession is something you went to school for and which gives you survival but Worship is a lifestyle. When in church, you are ministering and when you hold a show you are putting up a choreographed act although you wouldn’t block the movement of the Holy Spirit if it decides to go outside your choreography. I generally have to minister to the tripartite being which is the Soul, Body and Mind during a proffesional setup and then minister to God, Spirit and Truth during worship time.
Click here to listen to Namatayi’s Song