Remembering Grace Chinga

It feels like yesterday, but it is now 10 years since the death of Grace Chinga, on of the country’s gospel music songtresses. On March 16 2016, Malawians woke up to tragic scenes when Chinga suddenly died after suffering headache. She died while at the pinnacle of her music career.

After the release of Udzayimba Nyimbo album in 2010, Chinga undisputedly took the reins of the queen of gospel music in Malawi. Then, without a knock or warning, death came. At the time, she had just released her fourth solo album, Esther.

This work followed Yenda in 2002, Thandizo Langa in 2005 and Udzayimba Nyimbo in 2010. However, her death overshadowed Esther, despite the album’s lyrical acclaim. Her posthumous work, Mesiya in 2021, released by her family, also suffered the same fate.

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However, Chinga’s legacy also lives on in her three children: Steve Spesho, Miracle Chinga Moffat and Israel Chinga Moffat. Introduced to gospel music by their mother, the trio continues to live out their mother’s dreams. Steve Spesho came onto the scene when he produced most of the songs in Esther.

The songs included the hit leading single N’dzaulura, Esther and Linga Langa. The then 20-year-old earned the enormous trust of his mother, and the two effortlessly blended on the songs. Today, Steve Spesho is also a well-known solo singer.

But he is mainly into music production, including producing for international artists like Tanzanian Bongo Music star, Harmonize. In addition, Steve Spesho has taken the firstborn mantle with great responsibility as he is the one who sustains the music legacy of Grace Chinga. He coordinated the posthumous release of Mesiya album in 2021.

He has also ensured Chinga’s music is available on online platforms such as YouTube. On the other hand, Israel was only 14 years old when his mother died. However, in some of her Facebook posts, Grace Chinga would proudly talk about her youngest son, introducing him to the world as a boy who is also passionate about music.

Grace Chinga always encouraged her children to pursue music and Israel was never spared from this motherly wish. Today, Israel is a noticeable singer. Now trading as an independent artist, he was previously signed by City Rhythm Records and mutually parted ways after releasing the single, Forever.

But just like his elder brother, he is also into music production. To date, he has produced for artists such Eli Njuchi. Israel also released the song Chikho late 2025, featuring his two siblings, a collaboration that surely had Chinga smiling with tears of joy.

But it is Miracle the only daughter, who has turned out to be the exact copy of her mother. Grace Chinga first introduced her to music when she featured her in the song Anandigula in the Udzayimba Nyimbo album. She was only 12, but her voice and dancing antics heralded a gospel music princess.

At that moment, Malawi was not only introduced to Miracle who had a hairstyle and beauty like her mother, but also to the heir apparent. During the funeral of Grace Chinga at a packed Robin’s Park in Blantyre, all eyes were on the then 17-year-old Miracle who, while immersed in sorrow and shock, courageously performed her mother’s songs with the crowd singing along. When everything had settled down after the funeral, Miracle still presented herself as a singer, mostly singing her mother’s songs during shows. This prompted some to assume that she will forever live in the shadows of her mother.

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