By Tatenda Gapa

CONTEMPORARY jazz crooner, Dereck Mpofu, popularly known as the Green Ambassador, has said this year’s green concert is going to be bigger and better.
The singer, who once hosted South African songbird, Zahara and assisted Tokwe Mukorsi victims last year is hosting yet another green concert themed, ‘Vision 2025 — the dream is possible. It begins with you — it begins with me’.
Next month at the green concert to be held in Harare, the Green Ambassador hosts three big international artistes, Ringo Madlingozi and Winnie Khumalo from South Africa, as well as the top jazz guitarist and multi platinum Nigerian artiste, Kunle Ayo.
“The concert is a not to be missed as it will feature local top notch artistes Alexio Kawara and Shades of Black, Ras Caleb, Esther Mukazika-Matanga, Pax Gomo, and many more,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu revealed to Patriot Arts that the fact that he survived a cholera attack will forever make him an environment ambassador.
The musician said he took his ambassadorial role seriously hence his continued involvement in efforts to raise awareness through music on the importance of protecting the environment from human vagaries.
Dereck revealed that he survived the 2011 cholera outbreak and was inspired to be an environmental activist.
“I am one of the people who survived a cholera attack that claimed lives in Harare and elsewhere and this encouraged me to be an environment activist,” he said.
“I was indefinitely appointed City of Harare Goodwill Ambassador for Water Conservation and Zero Littering, an initiative spearheaded by the Water Department in 2012.
“I believe I am an environmentalist at heart, my music is unique in the sense that it is about issues that other musicians tend to turn a blind eye on.”
Mpofu’s duties include working with various departments in awareness campaigns.
Corporates, churches and local authorities have worked with the musician.
“As ambassador I work with the City of Harare and the Ministry of Environment and Water conservation to conduct environmental awareness campaigns on water conservation and waste management among other things in various parts of the city,” Mpofu said.
“So far my concerts and songs have rallied many people behind environment conservation and now big companies are even setting up a budget for environment conservation.”
In one of his popular songs, ‘Tisarase Marara’, Mpofu challenges people not to throw litter everywhere, but to dispose waste appropriately.
He educates people on the impact of deforestation and promotes tourism.
Mpofu is backed by his band, the Green Rainbow that has a mixture of the blind, albino and physically challenged youth.
On the track, ‘Denga Rinonzi Zimbabwe’, he sings about the country, equating its richness to heaven.
He praises the country’s vast natural resources and encourages everyone to play their part in safeguarding the good things the nation is endowed with.
On the track ‘World Doctor’, Mpofu starts on a solemn note pointing out environmental ills like global warming, drought and veld fires that have brought various dangers to wildlife and humans, while on the song ‘Reduce, Recycle, Reuse’, he urges the nation to be responsible so as to save the resources, recycle and reuse them where possible.
A track titled ‘Hakuchina Mvura/Hakusela Amanzi’, the Green Ambassador encourages citizens to save water, while ‘Wetlands’ warns against the disturbance of wetlands through various activities and construction.