Staff Writer
Zimbabwe’s gospel star Everton Mlalazi took home the biggest award of the night after winning Best Male Gospel Artist at the Clima Africa Awards held Monday in Lagos, Nigeria.
The soft-spoken Mlalazi was nominated for the Africa Gospel Artiste of the Year and Africa Best Male Gospel Artiste of the Year categories but he clinched the latter at the awards show which he also performed before a wider audience.
Mlalazi represented Zimbabwe well in West Africa where no other genre besides gospel music has received such amount of attention and recognition.
With the award this means Mlalazi’s music influence is finally getting recognition beyond Zimbabwean borders something which he has always wanted in a long time.
“This was unexpected, but fully appreciated. I am in awe of and grateful to God for the recognition. It encourages us at EM (Everton Mlalazi) brand to keep working,” Mlalazi told the press prior to the awards.
“On the other end I am very much humbled that I can be recognised in Nigeria for African awards, both Best Gospel and Best Male Gospel Artiste. To our fans we want to say thank you for supporting us, your support encourages us to remain working.”
The suave Mlalazi competed against some of the best musician in Africa the likes of Mercy Chinwo, Mr M & Revelations and Moses Bliss, all from Nigeria, in the Africa Gospel Artiste of the Year category.
For the Africa Best Male Gospel Artiste of the Year category, he beat Joe Mettle from China, Dunsin Oyekan, Nathaniel Bassey, Moses Bliss, Testimony Jaga and Peterson Okopi all from Nigeria.
An ardent Seventh Day Adventist Church member Mlalazi — who leads the Worship Therapy band (the resident band and vocalists for the EM brand) — has created a vibrant gospel sound that is inspired by his love for music and childhood musical influence.
One of his best collaborations to date featured Grammy-award winning acapella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, from South Africa.
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