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A low-key gospel artist named Rosemary “Mai” Mzezewa emphasizes that enthusiasm, rather than financial gain, should be the main motivation for entering the music field.

She cautioned that numerous individuals who join the industry seeking financial gains frequently end up disappointed, pointing to obstacles like elevated production expenses and requests for bribes from certain radio DJs in exchange for playing their music.

“The music business appears stylish from afar, but the reality is, it’s challenging. Producing and marketing music demands a significant investment. If you don’t spend money, you’ll only be listening to your own tracks at home,” she mentioned.

Mai Mzezewa, who has released seven albums, mentioned that insufficient financial support has prevented many skilled artists from being heard. She noted that obtaining airplay is challenging without funding, resulting in numerous musicians facing bankruptcy after investing significantly in their productions.

Even though she has been performing in church for many years, she has only recently started to gain more attention from a broader audience. Her new album — the first one released beyond church environments — received favorable reviews despite minimal radio play.

“It’s every musician’s dream to have their music played on national radio, as such recognition carries great significance. For me, the church has been my strongest support network. It embraced my music without any restrictions,” she stated.

Although there are challenges within the industry, Mai Mzezewa has found innovative ways to succeed. Some of her songs were included in the Messianic Lemba Song Book published by Jewish Voice Ministries in Zimbabwe, allowing her music to reach a broad audience via church channels.

Her travels started in 2001 when she first introduced her music to friends and other members of her congregation. Two years later, she launched her first album, which was influenced by her time at a boarding school where singing became a hobby in the late 1980s.

She is now self-assured enough to present family performances, and she keeps writing songs in Hebrew, Shona, and English. Among her well-known songs are Navavongwe, Tinetariro, Todah Rabah, Tariro, and Muri Yahwe, with the last one now accessible as a video on YouTube.

She has appeared only once — on her son Taonashe Mzezewa’s 2024 track “Zarura Moyo Wako.”

“I never wanted to be in the spotlight. As a child, I read about public personalities getting involved in controversies and I told myself: that’s not the life I desire. However, due to the nature of my music, I realized I couldn’t remain hidden forever,” she stated.

For Mai Mzezewa, the message is still evident: music is a vocation, not a profession.