About Our Ministry
Shelter Media Ministries is the brainchild of Jonathan and Shuvai
Wutawunashe, whose lifelong calling to sing the good news of
salvation in Jesus Christ has manifested itself in many forms for
over thirty years. They felt strongly that, in giving them the
opportunity to be pioneers in Christian music, to form and bring
up successful singing groups and to be pace-setters in bringing
Christian music to the television screen, God was preparing them
to serve others by helping to open doors of ministry for them so
that they too could have an impact.
When, during the early 1980s, they encountered record
companies that considered it a business risk to sign Christian
groups, Jonathan and Shuvai were convinced that God was
speaking to them about the need for facilities that would be
friendly to Christian artistes and their music. Even when, through
the ground-breaking success of their first release with their group
Family Singers, secular labels changed their tune about signing
Christian artistes, the conviction stayed with them that they must
pioneer the establishment of Christian-friendly recording studios
in Zimbabwe.
The dream came true in 1998, when the husband and wife team
established a digital recording studio in Harare, with Chris
Roberts, a member of the Family Singers and a strong musician,
as engineer-in-training. When Chris left for advanced university
training, he was replaced by Leonard Manzi, a guitarist of
note.Tinashe and Tendai, respectively son and daughter of
Jonathan and Shuvai, were a special attraction at Shelter
Studios, with their songwriting, instrumental and programming
talent, as were Bobby Mutyasira (drums) and Shangwa Sithole
(bass). Initially, the studio served as a writing and arranging
facility for the Family Singers. Eventually, however, the news got
out that the Family Singers had a studio, and friends began to
frequent Shelter Studios, leading to the emergence of the facility
as a sought-after studio where artistes felt supported and
understood, as its character was not commercial.
Since then, a network of supportive services has grown out of
Shelter Studios, and the services offered now cover the entire
product cycle from songwriting to recording to mastering to art
work to video production, concert organisation and
CD/DVD/cassette distribution.
The well-known and much-in-demand bassist Shangwa Sithole
has been serving as Engineer at Shelter Studios for the last
seven years, and he has brought tremendous value to the studio,
largely on account of his outstanding musical sensitivity and his
calm and collected temperament.
Shelter Media Ministries produced a television programme
focusing on mentoring Christian talent under the title Gospel
Bandstand. Apart from Jonathan and Shuvai, the
resourcepersons for the programme, which is now being made
available on DVD, include Stephen Suluma, Richard Kohola and
Dee Zigori.
Shelter Media Ministries has established music labels, and is
releasing several albums, some of which are highlighted on this
site.
Shelter Media Ministries is the brainchild of Jonathan and Shuvai
Wutawunashe, whose lifelong calling to sing the good news of
salvation in Jesus Christ has manifested itself in many forms for
over thirty years. They felt strongly that, in giving them the
opportunity to be pioneers in Christian music, to form and bring
up successful singing groups and to be pace-setters in bringing
Christian music to the television screen, God was preparing them
to serve others by helping to open doors of ministry for them so
that they too could have an impact.
When, during the early 1980s, they encountered record
companies that considered it a business risk to sign Christian
groups, Jonathan and Shuvai were convinced that God was
speaking to them about the need for facilities that would be
friendly to Christian artistes and their music. Even when, through
the ground-breaking success of their first release with their group
Family Singers, secular labels changed their tune about signing
Christian artistes, the conviction stayed with them that they must
pioneer the establishment of Christian-friendly recording studios
in Zimbabwe.
The dream came true in 1998, when the husband and wife team
established a digital recording studio in Harare, with Chris
Roberts, a member of the Family Singers and a strong musician,
as engineer-in-training. When Chris left for advanced university
training, he was replaced by Leonard Manzi, a guitarist of
note.Tinashe and Tendai, respectively son and daughter of
Jonathan and Shuvai, were a special attraction at Shelter
Studios, with their songwriting, instrumental and programming
talent, as were Bobby Mutyasira (drums) and Shangwa Sithole
(bass). Initially, the studio served as a writing and arranging
facility for the Family Singers. Eventually, however, the news got
out that the Family Singers had a studio, and friends began to
frequent Shelter Studios, leading to the emergence of the facility
as a sought-after studio where artistes felt supported and
understood, as its character was not commercial.
Since then, a network of supportive services has grown out of
Shelter Studios, and the services offered now cover the entire
product cycle from songwriting to recording to mastering to art
work to video production, concert organisation and
CD/DVD/cassette distribution.
The well-known and much-in-demand bassist Shangwa Sithole
has been serving as Engineer at Shelter Studios for the last
seven years, and he has brought tremendous value to the studio,
largely on account of his outstanding musical sensitivity and his
calm and collected temperament.
Shelter Media Ministries produced a television programme
focusing on mentoring Christian talent under the title Gospel
Bandstand. Apart from Jonathan and Shuvai, the
resourcepersons for the programme, which is now being made
available on DVD, include Stephen Suluma, Richard Kohola and
Dee Zigori.
Shelter Media Ministries has established music labels, and is
releasing several albums, some of which are highlighted on this
site.
About Us
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