Mkhululi Bhebhe opens up on suffering from gastrointestinal disorder

SOUTH AFRICA-BASED Zimbabwean contemporary gospel singer Mkhululi Bhebhe has revealed that he was forced to abandon his online series titled My Music Journey after he suffered gastrointestinal disorder.

The former Joyous Celebration choir member told NewsDay Life & Style that he had to stop the series at Season 1 episode eight due to health complications.

Bhebhe said he was working on My Music Journey Season 2 aimed at motivating up-and-coming artistes as well as share the secret to success in what he described as a "brutal music industry".

"My Music Journey Season 2 is a series I began in 2020 as the whole world was on lockdown.

"Initially, I thought it was going to be just one video, but from the positive response I received I decided to make it a 10-episode series," he said.

"Sadly, my health took a turn for the worst, as I found myself dealing with the possibility of a chronic gastrointestinal condition.

"This meant that I had to abandon the series at episode eight, where I shed some light on the trauma I went through while I was recording my debut live DVD titled The Ultimate Praise Experience."

Bhebhe said he went through untold physical and emotional pain that forced him to stop recording and focus on his recovery path.

"By the grace of God, I underwent a procedure called a Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy, which simply involves the insertion of a camera to view your colon as well as the upper gastrointestinal tract.

"This procedure revealed that I had internal haemorrhoids and peptic ulcers," he said.

"For me that came as a relief because I had prepared myself for the worst. When I say "Jesus saves", I mean it with all of my heart."

Bhebhe said over the past five weeks he has been releasing episodes from season 2 where he shares a bit about the pain of losing one's mother while on tour thousands of miles away from home.

"There is an episode where I share the difficulties I faced during the 2020 lockdown, almost to the point of being an Uber driver. I hope these episodes encourage someone reading this to hold on a little while longer," he said.

"I will continue with the series in a few weeks as I am currently on a sabbatical, to keep my mental health in check."

He said the current season had been a great success judging by the multiple comments on the various videos which seem to be drawing audiences from across the globe.

"I cannot say I am benefiting much from the series. It is my way of giving back, by sharing some of the untold brutal truths surrounding our gospel music industry.

"It takes me close to 30 hours to record, edit (I do my own editing by the way) and release and upload a single video in 4K (Ultra HD resolution) and in my view, there could never be any monetary compensation that would buy one's time," he said.

"A wise man once said, ‘the greatest gift any human being can ever give to you is their time‘.

"I guess that is the story of my life. It fulfils me greatly when I am able to assist people in some small way, and besides, I love being in front of the camera and just speaking my mind. It's my safe place."

Bhebhe said besides the project, he had been doing his best to keep his family afloat in these COVID-19 times.

"For some of the magical moments I have enjoyed, the readers can tune in to my YouTube channel and see the amasing things God has done for me," he said.

"Apart from that, I have been preparing new music for my upcoming live DVD recording as it has been four years since I last recorded any music, I believe that time is fast approaching.

"I hope when released, the music will be well received and continue to change lives all over the world."