Tanzanian gospel musician Christina Shusho on Monday, April 22 announced her latest musical endeavor, a soul-stirring composition titled “Zakayo” (the tax collector).
The acclaimed artist, renowned for her powerful vocals and spiritually uplifting melodies, shared a snippet of the upcoming track on her official X page, leaving fans among them Kenyans eagerly awaiting its release.
Shusho, who has garnered widespread acclaim for her previous hits like “Shusha Nyavu” offered a glimpse into the song with a 19-second teaser accompanied by the caption “Zakayo the Song coming soon.”
The song draws inspiration from the biblical narrative of a man named Zakayo, who held the esteemed position of head tax collector and was known for his wealth.
Despite his material abundance, Zakayo’s pursuit of encountering Jesus Christ serves as a reminder of the transformative power of faith and spiritual awakening.
Christina Shusho Gives a Snippet of the Zakayo Song
In a teaser shared by Shusho, the lyric of the song narrates Zakayo’s quest to behold Jesus.
Palikuwa na mtu mmoja jina lake Zakayo.Mkubwa kwa watoza ushuru..Naye ni tajiri..Alitafuta kumuona Yesu ni mtu wa namna gani..Asiweze kwa sababu ya umati wa watu.
“There was once a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and wealthy man. He sought to see Jesus see what kind of a person he was. He couldn’t because of the crowd of people” (Loosely translated from Swahili).
Also Read: Ruto Quotes Bible Verse to Defend His “Zakayo” Nickname
Shusho also released the Shusha Nyavu (cast your nets) song in April 2021, which became a major hit in Kenya towards the end of 2023.
It surprisingly garnered airtime not just in worship places but also in entertainment spots and social gatherings.
The song’s popularity spiraled after Kenyans realized that the Gospel legend plucked the lyrics straight from the Bible – and then created musical magic with it in the studio.
Ruto Embraces Nickname
In May 2023, the name Zakayo surfaced on social platforms after the introduction of new tax proposals made by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
As such, Kenyans dubbed the head of state ‘Zakayo’ in reference to the biblical tax collector following the new tax measures introduced in the country.
Months later President William Ruto would be heard saying he had no problem with people calling him names including Zakayo.
“I don’t mind people calling me names. I will continue to do the right thing for our country irrespective of the names people call me including Zakayo,” Ruto said.
Also Read: 5 Songs that Lit Up Kenya’s Elections & Campaigns
In response to Shusho’s announcement of the new song, netizens had much to say in anticipation of its release.
Kenyans Excited for the Release of Zakayo Song
X user Geoffrey Moturi while reacting to the musician’s post comically asked who the target audience for the song was.“What is your target audience? Kenya, East Africa and beyond?”
“God has remembered us Kenyans finally. let ZAKAYO Drop then come launch it in Kenya,” another user stated with laughing emojis.
Some made fun, guessing how President Ruto would react after listening to the song as many others shared videos and stickers of the president enjoying the new hit song.
“Zakayo speculating on how he will collude with Suluhu to instruct Christina Shusho to change the Album’s name,” note Kaysparks.
Daisy Dariann said “Ruto typing while deleting.”
Blogger Gabriel Oguda also noted that “Baaas. Sasa ni wewe ndio utatupeleka Canaan. Run it,” loosely translating to ‘You are the one to get us to Canaan.”
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