The Standard

September 14 to 20 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE / MAN / PROFILE 7
Star Profile
Gorden Taurai Nzira
“
Strong, focused and ready to minister to the world….
“
Prudence Muganiwah
Gorden Taurai Nzira is a Zimbabwean
gospel singer, song writer as well as
music director/producer who was
born in Gwanda and raised in the
city of Bulawayo. Famed for his hit
songs Seiko and Usatani he is an
artist in the making, and not even the
long sabbatical he took from the music
industry has got him rusty – it’s as if
he has been singing and perfecting his
art the whole time.
“I am passionate about creating
music, whether I am singing, writing,
playing drums or directing. I believe music
is my ministry and it is through this
gift that I can be a blessing to the world. The
thing about a passion is that it controls you
most of the time.” Gorden confesses that there
are many times when he has foregone meals
so he can record himself on his phone
in a bid to remember a chorus that
would have popped up in his
creative and ever-busy artistic
mind. “I love what I
do such that a day in the
studio for me feels like
just an hour.”
To the hardworking
young man, who,
needless to say is
also a praise and
worship director
at his church,
creating music
has never been
a job. It is something
that he
loves so much
that it consumes
him and is quite
literally, part of
his life and being.
“I love making
something out
of almost nothing,
it’s a wonderful
feeling.
When a song
is given to
me through
the inspiration
of the
Holy Spirit,
I get it as a
complete
song. I hear
everything,
the rhythm,
bassline
and sometimes
even
the arrangement.
Now working
to put
that down
so that everyone
can
hear it is
amazing.”
And it is
crystal
clear that
the artist is
full of passion.
That being
said,
Gorden, who
is currently
based in South
Africa, says that his
chosen field is not entirely a
bed of roses as it comes with
its own fair share of buts, fame
being the biggest one. “Dealing
with fame has not been easy, especially given that I did a lot of
wrong footing earlier on in my career. I made some mistakes
and I felt like I needed a break from the lime light. The long
sabbatical I took from the music industry has helped mature.”
Married to Nandipha Siyanga and a father of two, a threeyear-
old girl called Mbalenhle and one-year-old boy called Nicanor,
Gorden is also quite your typical family man who loves
spending time with those he holds dear to the heart. “My kids
are both hyper-active so much that when they decide they want
to play with me I have to make sure I have my game on because
they don’t get tired, and as expected they get into a lot of mischief
during the games!” Gorden confesses that he is not big on
shopping and leaves that to his wife as he is a “really terrible
shopper.”
Gorden, who is also a great drummer, believes that the break
he took from music has enabled him to attain a greater understanding
of what it is to be a minister of the gospel. “God has
been good to me and I am back now strong, focused and ready to
minister to the world.”
Basing his career, vision and life mission on the word of
God, Gorden believes that mankind should all have love for one
another regardless of race, creed, gender or tribe. “The Lord
Jesus Christ gave it as a new commandment. He said “A new
commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I
have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall
all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another. —John 13:33-35.” According to him, love is a solution
to strife and conflicts, and he believes the endless conflict in the
world is caused by greed.
It is evident that he is a born artist as despite that he does
most of his music in the studio over the weekends as opposed
to every day, he still sings to perfection. The rest of his week
is typically characterised by office runs, meetings with clients
and studying.
On life achievements, Gorden, who says in another life he
would have done marketing or insurance, says, “besides marrying
the woman of my dreams, I would say I had the greatest
feeling of achievement when I released my first album Seiko in
2006. It had been a dream of mine since childhood.”
Besides building his own career, he is also currently a director
for a group called Yadah Praise and is working on building a
record label in Bulawayo for upcoming local artists. Asked if he
has any pet peeves, the ever smiling, easygoing guy who loves
his Zimbabwean food says, “I don’t like it when people eat in my
car, it just irritates me.”
Taking inspiration from Miles Monroe as a result of his
tireless motivational work, Pastor Dan Zimuwandeyi and Pastor
Eddie Chizeya, Gorden says he also has a lot of respect for
gospel music maestro, Pastor Gee Gwanzura whom he says is
always giving him advice regarding to his music.
Expressing his love for musical art and his wish for young
minds to explore their options and pursue their passions, Gorden
says, “I remember when I started off doing shows, I did lots
of free ones because I was doing it out of passion and that’s
how I met some of the people that helped me record my first
album. Your success is in your passion, follow that and you will
make it. Don’t compare yourself with anyone just do the best
you can.”