Songstress, Jane Doka
By Sifelani Tsiko
UK-based Zimbabwean gospel diva Jane Doka has been nominated for the Africa Gospel Music Awards, an event increasingly becoming popular for gospel artistes in Africa and the Diaspora.
Founded in 2009, the Africa Gospel Music Awards (AGMAs) serve as the face and voice for the African gospel and Christian music community worldwide and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the gospel through Africa-fusion music of all styles.
Doka could not hide her excitement.
“I feel very honoured to have been nominated for the Africa Gospel Music Awards. I am actually surprised that my name is amongst such great talent from African people across various regions in the world,” she said in an interview.
“Whether I win or not is not very important to me. The acknowledgement itself is very encouraging to me and I owe it all to the wonderful Lord in whose name I sing.”
AGMAs celebrates its 4th anniversary this year and will feature energetic ministrations from highly talented musicians on July 6 at the Great Hall, Queen Mary University, London.
Doka, a lawyer by profession, released her third album titled Mirangariro-Reflections last year. The 10-track album was produced by Mono Mukundu and include tracks Hatirase, My Portion, Tinomutenda Jesu and, Proudly African.
Last year, she was crowned Gospel Artist of the Year at the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (ZAA) while in 2010 she was voted Best Female Artist at the Zimbabwe Music and Arts Awards.
“I am greatly humbled to have been nominated on a bigger platform which is not limited to just Zimbabwe,” she said. “It has opened my eyes to the opportunities available to me and other artists on the global stage.”
Doka has passion for gospel music and is quite active in ministry. “We can reach out to anyone anywhere by God’s grace. It is a good feeling to be loved by your own and to know that other nationalities are warming up to what God has put in me is even more fulfilling,” she said.
Her music blends Afro-jazz and a dose of museve to give that unmistakable stamp of Zimbabwean musical sound. The Herald
