Essence of Worship is a music group that has grown exponentially over recent years, successfully releasing a variety of songs and garnering a large mass of fans. Based in Tanzania, the worship group has uplifted its listeners with Swahili gospel songs. Some of their most famous songs are “Wewe Ni Baba” and “Shangilia”. It would be difficult to be acquainted with the group and not know this song.
The group is an epitome coordination and harmony in the delivery of their songs even with over a hundred people as members of the group. The worship group has brought together members from different churches who are not only musically talented but also devoted to spiritual growth. Their unison and oneness are qualities that most leaders aspire to achieve with their respective groups.
The leader of Essence of Worship, Gwamaka Mwakalinga, has been the vision bearer of the group since its inception when the group had few people as members. He has consistently led the group displaying his excellent skills, not only musically but also in leadership.
How did Essence of Worship begin?
Essence of Worship began with their leader Gwamaka Mwakalinga. He was a student in campus pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication. His interest in music grew after he got saved in 2010. He started learning to play musical instruments such as the piano and joined a worship group on campus.
While there, he met Dr. Ipyana who was a student and also a worship leader of the same music group. Mentored by Dr. Ipyana, Gwamaka grew in his skill and soon took over the position of worship leader in the same worship team.
So how did the group start exactly? After being a worship leader, Gwamaka wanted to train people on true worship and what it entails, hence the name. At this point, he was already done with school but he wanted to mentor others as he was mentored. He therefore organized an event and named it Essence of Worship. He invited a few people to the event to teach them true worship. From then on, the numbers continued to grow.
The group, according to the leader, is not only a music group but a ministry with Gwamaka Mwakalinga as the pastor.
Debut and Going Viral
Did you know that Essence of Worship began all the way in 2014 but it was not until 2019 that the group went viral? The group was active taking part in various events but in 2019, they worked on the album Bwana Unatawala which made them go viral beyond Tanzania.
Bwana Unatawala is a song that translates to Lord you reign. It is a song that acknowledges that the Lord reigns forever. It also talks of the qualities of God such as his faithfulness, mercy, and eternal nature. This song has over a million views on YouTube.
Another song that contributed to their fame is Mimi Siwezi which was released in 2019 with over two million views on YouTube. It is a worship song that confesses that we can do nothing without Jesus. This heartfelt worship drew many people to listen and was even used in churches during praise and worship sessions.
After the breakthrough album, the group released more songs with even more listeners and fans being gained in the process. Among the songs released include Shangilia which was released in 2021. This song was a hit with over seven million views. Others released in 2021 include Halleluja and Ninashuka Chini.
In 2022, Wewe ni Baba was released alongside Tunaleta Sifa, Roho Mtakatifu, Baba Yetu, Umejawa Utukufu, and Rafiki Mwema among others. In 2023, Sitaona Haya and Mungu Mkuu were released. In 2024, Nina Sababu Mwanaume kama Yesu praise medley was released, Jina Lako Litukuzwe, Everlasting God and the most recent being Shauku.
Collabos
When it comes to collaborations, Essence of worship is boundless. The group has collaborated with a variety of gospel artists from different countries. It would be difficult to mention them all, but I will give you a glimpse of a few.
Among Tanzanian artists, Essence of Worship has collaborated with Paul Clement in their most recent song Shauku among other songs, and also with Boaz Danken in the song Sina wa Kutegemea. The group has also collaborated with Joel Lwaga in the song You Are Holy and with Patrick Kubuya in the song Wangu.
The group has also collaborated with Kenyan Gospel artists. Among the artists include Evelyn Wanjiru in the Song Mwema, Kestin Mbogo in the song Damu, and Nyasha Ngoloma in the song Jambo Jipya just to mention a few.
In addition, the group has also worked with musicians beyond East Africa, among them Joe Mettle in the song Yahweh. Joe Mettle is a renowned gospel musician based in Ghana. When it comes to working together with gospel artists, Essence of Worship has proved to go beyond geographical boundaries.
Upcoming Projects
From their discography, Essence of Worship has shown consistency in the release of songs year after year. The listeners can therefore anticipate even more songs to be released based on the group’s consistency.
Conclusion
Essence of worship is not only a music group as most people know it, but a ministry dedicated to impacting people’s lives with the love of Jesus Christ. When they are not doing so through music, they are doing it by directly reaching out to people.