His calling as a gospel musician started in Rusape as a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church more than four decades ago.
A strong Christian background shaped him to become a preacher of the word of God in his early teens.
It meant he was to have a bias towards gospel music, which he was exposed to from a tender age.
On completing his Advanced Level in Mutare, he was already a fine songwriter, backing vocalist and bass guitar player.
He acquired most of these techniques at church.
Like many people of his generation, he could not resist the allure of Harare after high school.
Before he settled in Harare for greener pastures, he had a brief stint with the Real Unique Natural Notion (The RUNN Family), a band that played secular music.
Prince Tendai and Fortune Muparutsa --both late -- gave him the platform to shine when he came to Harare.
After that stint, joined the Frontline Kids in the late 80s and toured Europe and Botswana with the group.
When the group disbanded in the early 90s, he retraced his roots and quit secular music. The rest is now history for Noel Zembe who has recorded 13 albums to his name.
Precisely, this sums up Zembe's calling as a gospel musician.
As humble as ever, the father of six does not regret giving his life to Christ.
Taking The Herald Arts down memory lane, Zembe feels blessed at 55.
With over 35 years experience at the top, he sees God's grace.
After all, Zembe has seen many artistes of his generation dying.
For him to be alive and kicking, it can only be God's grace.
"To me, prayer has always been my way of life from the days I was in Rusape and at Nyazura Mission.
"God spoke to me in a special way to serve him and that's why I could not quit his ministry through gospel music.
"I have tried secular music before, but I keep coming back to do gospel," he said.
Despite keeping a low-profile, Zembe revealed he was still very much in the game.
"I cannot quit music because that is my way of life. I actually have a 13th album named "Ndirangarireiwo" ready for consumption.
"I could have released it weeks back, but we have another collaboration with Emmanuel Thomas doing well titled "Chavhuvhuruka" which has beautiful videos."
With many of his peers wondering how he was making ends meet, Zembe replied:
"I am multitasking like many other people in Zimbabwe at the moment. I am into the buying and selling of groceries which is sustaining me and my family.
"Besides music, I realised that it was a mistake to lay all my eggs in one basket and decided to venture into the grocery business. It is busy business out there."
Zembe, who still gets contracted for performances at church conferences and other big events, added:
"In our line of business, we need to be multi-tasking to be able to fend for our families.
"I am doing my best even though I still want more in life like any other person."
Known for popular hits like "Ndaiwana Hama", "Tavekupemberera", "Rangariro", "Hatina Musha" among other sing-along tracks off his rich discography, Zembe misses the past when the showbiz industry was rewarding.
"I have done so many hits that people know, but pirates benefited more than us.
"The late 1980s and early '90s had sweet memories for us because the industry was paying well.
"You could smile all the way to the bank to collect royalties, but now we are recording and publishing new stuff for relevance's sake," explained Zembe.
Reminiscing of his formative years, Zembe said unity in the industry helped him to realise his potential.
"During my early years in Harare, I met people that I can call angels from God although both of them (Prince Tendai and Fortune Muparutsa) are now late.
"The two guys took me to High Density Studios where I auditioned to start recording.
"I realised that I could sing and I ended up working with other top groups, including Frontline Kids where I made a name for myself."
Zembe, who dropped out of school at tertiary level where he was studying marketing and accounts to pursue music, believes God is using him as a special vessel.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"There are many things that I have accomplished like spreading the word of God through music, owing some properties from the proceeds of our royalties that I take as an achievement. I will not forget European tours which exposed us to the international scene.
"We were popular back in the day and I am happy for the memories we created as youngsters when it was not easy to make it internationally.
"The most important treasure that I will forever cherish is a healthy life because I have lost many people along the way."
Musically, he boasts of a rich catalogue of albums comprising "Rugare", "Masodzi", "Mwari Wenyasha", "Kodzero", "Nguva YaMwari" featuring Jah Prayzah among others.
A talented songwriter, Zembe believes God anointed him to do His ministry's work from a tender age.
Everything that he has touched has turned gold. Armed with a song-writing technique and a beautiful voice, Zembe has continued to touch the hearts of many with his music which is known for healing those in despair.
He is married to Chenai Moyo and the couple was blessed with six children -- four girls and two boys.
