Some of Zambia’s top musicians gathered for a concert to honor 46-year-old gospel singer Matthew Ngosa, just a day before his burial in the capital, Lusaka. The audience joined in singing his beloved hits at the Praise Christian Centre.
Matthew’s songs were so popular that they were played not only in churches but also in nightclubs throughout his two-decade career. The venue in Lusaka was filled with fans, friends, family, and government officials, with his older brother Boyd, a fellow musician known as BJ, leading the mourners.
Matthew began his musical journey with BJ and their younger brother Hezron while they were still in high school, often performing a cappella. They aspired to pursue music professionally, a challenging goal in a country where piracy often leaves musicians with little financial reward.
Matthew and Hezron formed a duo called The Ezma Brothers within a larger group known as The Tribe Called Christians. Later, at Lusaka’s Northmead Assemblies of God Church, Matthew joined The Christ Ambassador Choir, where he honed his skills.
In 2004, he released his successful debut album, *Umutima Wandi* (My Heart), which topped the music charts. His gospel hits, including *Ukulolela* (Waiting) and *Ndakunkula* (Rolling to God in Praise), also became anthems for club-goers.
Though Matthew Ngosa never achieved significant wealth, he managed to earn a decent living from his music before being diagnosed with liver cancer in January. He passed away two days before he was scheduled to return to India for a check-up.
Hezron shared with the BBC that he would miss his brother’s sense of humor: “He would go out of his way to make people happy. He was very strong even in sickness. He was a man of faith.” This spirit of generosity was echoed by gospel musician Kings Mumbi.
“To me, he was a mentor. When I recorded my first song, I took it to him to critique and that’s why I have never gone astray. He was more than a brother,” he told the BBC.
“When a pastor invited Matthew Ngosa to their church to sing but couldn’t pay him, he would not bother that pastor because for Matthew, singing was part of his ministry. He took it as a way of spreading the word of God.”
The development of Zambia’s music industry may suffer from piracy, but most Christians prefer buying original albums directly from the musicians as a way of promoting the growth of gospel music.
Others believe that buying pirated gospel music is a sin that is tantamount to theft.
“Your untimely death has crushed me, and broken the hearts of believers and shocked an entire nation,” televangelist and former Vice-President Nevers Mumba posted on Facebook after Ngosa’s death was announced on Friday.
“My only consolation is that I know you will announce your arrival in heaven from Zambia in style. As you walk through that golden door, I can almost hear you singing with all the power that your vocal cords can manage.”#
His words capture the widespread grief felt for Ngosa in Zambia, a predominantly Christian nation with high church attendance. President Hakainde Hichilema extended his condolences to the family, while former President Edgar Lungu visited the funeral home on Saturday.
Ngosa, who had two daughters with Tasila Ngombe, had previously served as a civic leader in Lungu’s party, the Patriotic Front. BJ shared with the BBC that their mother, Samaria Maswela, played a crucial role in the careers of all three Ngosa brothers.
“She used to sing in church and her own mother and father used to sing as well. Our mother is the one who introduced us to Sunday school music in the United Church of Zambia [UCZ] when we were still kids.”
She joined BJ on stage towards the end of the three-hour concert on Sunday, with other tearful family members, to sing Matthew’s classic Umutima Wandi – a praise song in the Bemba language, thanking God for life’s blessings.
