There is need for Gospel workshops

“If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”

— Steve Jobs MBABANE - The Gospel community has urged the provision of workshops to help groom talent in the industry.

7he industry continues to be staJnant locally with a few individuals not beinJ able to master their craft, as they may be not well versed on how they can riJhtly Sursue their career in the industry Some of the most valued Sractices when it comes to beinJ an artist locally includes havinJ Jood be haviour, resSect for other SeoSle or fans as well as refraininJ from the abuse of druJs or alcohol since some artists are reJarded as ministerinJ in sonJ

0usic WorkshoSs enhance teamwork skills and disciSline In order for a band to sound Jood, all Slayers must work toJether harmoniously to wards a sinJle Joal, the Serformance, they must commit to learninJ music, attendinJ rehearsals, and SractisinJ

7he Association of Christian Artists in Eswatini (ACAESWA) Public Relations Officer (PRO), 1hlanhla 0athunMwa, shared that they fully suS Sort the Srovision of workshoSs ³8sually as an association, we have had numerous of workshoSs throuJh the assistance of the cul ture council, whereby we hosted var ious workshoSs to ensure that our members are caSacitated )or us it would be to urJe the council to add more work shoSs and knowledJe to the artists Artists have to be tauJht that as much as you can be famous, at the end of the day the SeoSle around you and the fans brinJ you the fame So what you do cuts to the ne[t Serson, so in short, we should Must learn to resSect ourselves and carry out our Mobs on the staJe with resSect

+e went on to comment on the wayward behaviour that is usually seen beinJ e[hibited

ACAESWA Public Relations Officer Nhlanhla Mathunjwa. (Courtesy pic). by artists durinJ shows esSecially when they Jo for Serformances locally ³When it comes to us in the *osSel industry, we don¶t e[Sect an artist to come to a show drunk I won¶t talk about the other Jenres, but I will say this on behalf of *osSel artists, you are not e[Sected to be on staJe drunk Secondly, one has to remember that when on staJe he or she is SreachinJ What you are sinJinJ has to be the life that you live,´ 0athunMwa said

+e went on to say that *osSel artists brinJ hoSe to someone who maybe hurt or Sossibly down emotionally 7he Serson sees them as artist and they ask what kind of life do they live, so your Sersonal life is your true testimony than the words you say ³I for one wouldn¶t e[Sect a *osSel artist to Jo on the staJe drunk while known and reJis tered under us As the *osSel industry, we lead by e[amSle so we should be role models to others )or us, it to Jo on staJe, Sreach, Jet out of staJe and minJle with your fans With this beinJ said, you are nothinJ without the SeoSle who take their time and come to attend a show where you will be SerforminJ, let us resSect our fans as artists,´ 0athunMwa added

Experienced

One of the local e[Serienced *osSel artists, who Must wraSSed uS auditions to helS asSirinJ musi cians achieve their dreams, also encouraJed the Srovision of workshoSs locally 7his is 1dudu]o 0atse, who is a multi award nominee and %est of Africa SA%C Crown *osSel Award winner for the year 1 +e has Serformed Jlobally includinJ 7an]ania, 0alawi, 'ubai and other Slaces /ocally he recently shared the staJe with South African (SA) *osSel artist 7akie 1dou and 'r 7umi durinJ a fundraisinJ camSaiJn that was held last year at 0avuso 7rade and E[ibition Centre 0atse has been doinJ workshoSs since in 1 , havinJ the e[Serience, 0atse said the need for workshoSs is definitely vital ³7he need for workshoSs cannot be satisfied, we are still a develoSinJ country, which Joes hand in hand with education We do not stoS learninJ, it¶s the same thinJ in the music industry as there are new trends that need to be learned 0usicians still need to be educated on how to naviJate current trends as well as how they become relevant as artists without chanJinJ who you are,´ 0atse said

³Relevance is another key sector that artists need to be educated on I have been in the industry for 15 years now and I can confidently say that I am still relevant in the Jeneration WorkshoSs will helS our artists to know how they can successfully build their brand and stay Sositive and relevant in the industry Artists are also e[Sected to resSect themselves as well as their fans, without the workshoSs it will be hard for them to achieve this,´ added the artist

+e further noted that most of the times workshoSs are SreSared locally, but artists fail to attend these workshoSs yet they want to be successful in the industry ³*od is raisinJ worshiSSers from local churches and they are becominJ brands in the industry We wish these kinds of SeoSle can Moin the workshoSs for them to Jrow Our artists fail to balance their career, while you lift your head hiJh you still need to keeS your feet on the Jround It is imSortant that artists and SeoSle in Sraise and worshiS teams Moin the workshoSs µµOur artists are full of Sride, they do not want to attend work shoSs yet they do not even know how to earn money with their music 7hey do not even know the different kinds of royalties that e[ist in music because they do not want to learn,´ 0atse said

0atse went on to share with this Sublica tion that he will be conductinJ a workshoS on ASril +e then invited artists to attend so they can learn ³I will be also there, as I have said that these thinJs keeS chanJ inJ, we will be brinJinJ SeoSle who are relevant who will talk about royalties, artists behaviour, JrowinJ your brand, workinJ with other artists as well as disciSline as an artist 7he workshoS will be on ASril at 0avuso 7rade and E[hibition Centre, details on who will be featured are still yet to follow

It will run the whole day,´ 0atse said

A section of a crowd taken during one of the recent Gospel shows that was held in Manzini.

(Courtesy pic). Local Gospel musician Nduduzo Matse.