Festival to honour gospel groups
TWO Eastern Cape gospel groups, Youth With Mission and Lord Comforters, will be honoured this weekend for their contribution to music in a tribute show to be held at the Guild Theatre.
The show is part of the Umtiza Arts Festival, which promises to bring a variety of exciting arts shows and music for the whole family.
Organiser of the show Andile Maqoma said they were approached by the management of the Guild Theatre to bring some gospel segment to the event and “we thought of doing a tribute concert for the two groups”, he said.
Maqoma said fans of the groups can look forward to familiar songs by both outfits and be reminded of the great times and “good memories with the groups”, he said.
The groups put the Eastern Cape on the map in the mid-90s with their popular gospel sounds.
Zwelitsha-based group Lord Comforters shot to fame with popular songs like Noyana, Hallelujah, Yizwa Indaba and others.
Mdantsane’s Youth With Mission became a household name with songs like Angingedwa, Kuhle Moya Wam and Africa Back to God among others. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1995 and featured the hit uPetro , while the Lord Comforters released its debut album Noyana around the same period.
During the time both groups’ popularity was at its peak, they travel the country and neighbouring countries like Swaziland and Lesotho, blessing gospel music lovers with what seen to be a new sound at the time.
However, both groups have since stopped producing. This is after their lead singers left to focus on their solo projects. It was Youth With Mission that first suffered a huge blow when one of the lead singers, Malibongwe Gcwabe quit the group. The remaining lead singer Khanyisa Sabuka tried to give the familiar sound of the group, but she also focused on her solo project.
The group last released an album called Nxa ebizwa amagama more than five years ago.
Lord Comforters also failed to get back to its former glory after one of its lead singers and co-founder Veliswa Skeyi left the group a few years ago. Things took an ugly turn for the Lord Comforters when the remaining lead singer, Phumla Mfene left the group after the release of her debut album.
The two were the main voices behind the success of the group that was formed by former radio personality Mandla Makhubalo.
The groups were discovered by the legendary musician Sizwe Zako, who also discovered the Queen of SA gospel Rebecca Malope in the late 80’s.
Singers Zipho Vena, Siphokazi Sondishe and Simthembile Nkunzi will perform songs like Thel’uMoya, Ngingumfokazi by the Lord Comforters while Youth With Mission fans can expect to hear songs like Balapho abangcwele, Zulu Khaya and Ndizelwe ngokutsha to mention a few.
Skeyi and Sabuka will also feature in the show. — sinom@dispatch.co.za