Lebo’s Baby Steps Led Her to Greatness
She is a typical testimony to the truth behind the saying, “take life one step at a time, so when you fall, you know where the next step down is.” And judging by how she gradually matured into a musical icon from humble beginnings, gospel music super star Lebo Sekgobela is living proof of the importance of learning the ropes, earning the stripes, before climbing the ladder. Her debut album Ke Ngwana Wa Hao, released in the year 2000 may not have done as well as she would have loved, but admittedly, she was introducing herself officially to the highly competitive South African music industry at the time, and never really anticipated platinum status in sales.
“I saw the first album as an opportunity for me to learn the dynamics of the music industry and test myself. You must never ignore the beginnings, because you
don’t know how the ending will be,” she says from her home in Vereeniging, Gauteng.
Born in Sebokeng, Mrs Sekgobela has spent the first 16 years of her tenure in the music industry perfecting her art, and this is evident in the fact that she only became a chart-topper in 2016, after releasing her first album Restored, featuring the smash hit single, Lion of Judah.
The song put Mrs Sekgobela high up in the musical stature and several music fans actually believed that the album, which reached double platinum status (100 000 copies sold), was her first.
“I’m still very humbled by the success received by that album. It did very well and was a testimony of how perseverance can pay off. I allowed the album to grow at its own pace and reach as many people as possible before I released a follow-up. But I regarded it as a symbol of growth for me,” she says.
“I was raised just like any other township child. My mother would come home only on weekends, while she raised other people’s children, but I don’t blame her.”
Her musical journey dates back to the 1990s while she would lead the morning prayer at the Aha-Thuto High School in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg.
Teachers, having gotten wind of her angelic voice, would insist that Mrs Sekgobela leads the prayer session with a song, and later included her in the school choir.
“Then one lady from Orange Farm, heard me singing and asked if we could record a song together. She saw me at church because I was part of the worship team and that’s when I later recorded my own album. I guess it’s safe to say…that’s how my journey began.”
Gentlemen, she is married with three children – a young woman aged 21, a 17-year old grade 11 girl and a five-year old boy. Mrs Sekgobela was raised alongside five other siblings, by a single domestic worker mother.
And poverty, she says, was the order of the day with her mother’s meager salary.
“I was raised just like any other township child. My
mother would come home only on weekends, while she raised other people’s children, but I don’t blame her. She did what she had to do to put food on the table for us. It would have been great to experience the love of a father, but it was not to be because he didn’t live with us, she recalls.
Mrs Sekgobela says not seeing her mother on a daily basis had its own disadvantages, such as not having someone she could trust and confide in.
“There were things I couldn’t really talk to her about, as a young girl, you know. I was not like other kids who experienced that kind of a set-up, but that made me strong. I always tell my children to appreciate the love they receive from their parents because not all kids have that privilege,” she says.
Married to her commercial manager, Lucky Sekgobela, after matric, she had to look for work in retail stores so that she could supplement her mother’s salary. Her two elder brothers passed away a few years back, and Mrs Sekgobela, the fifth born in the family had to also contribute something towards the survival of the family.
“When you have your own children, you try your best to ensure that they don’t experience what you went through. It’s very important for them however to know where you have been as their parent, so that they don’t grow up thinking that life is easy.”
Being married to her manager is not a challenge, she says, as it further strengthens their bond. Mrs Sekgobela says even though they work together, she still regards Lucky as the head of the house.
“I’m his boss and he’s also my boss, “she laughs out loud. “He’s my boss in the sense that he’s my manager and there are times where I will have to listen to his guidance. I’m also the musician here, so sometimes he has to do what I want.”
She believes that in marriage, respect is the only thing that could ensure peace.
“I respect him as my husband and I believe that God made him to love me. He could have loved any other woman because there are millions of beautiful women, but he chose me. I’m grateful for that. I’m also teaching my children to appreciate the fact that they are raised by both their parents. Other kids are not that lucky, you know.”
Currently promoting her sixth album titled Umusa (mercy), featuring the much-loved songs, Surely and Moya Ka Jehova, Mrs Sekgobela has been on a national tour in recent months, touching down places like Secunda, Venda and Nelspruit, among others. But most recently, she had two stints in the Limpopo province.
“I was in Polokwane first and a very appreciative crowd came to me after the show and asked why I never go to Lebowakgomo. I was very happy to feel appreciated like that. Then in October I did a show at the Civic Centre in Lebowakgomo and it was a full house. Basically, the tour is about saying thank you to those who have shown me support in recent times. I’m very grateful,” says Mrs Sekgobela.
She arrived in Lebowakgomo about five days before the event, and in the days leading to it, handed out sanitary towels to the female pupils in the surroundings schools, while giving out roll-ons to boy scholars.
“The things I saw when I was there were saddening. At some of the schools, children were using tree branches as chairs and tables. But at least they rocked up at school. That’s what’s important because some of those things can discourage children and deprive them of education.”
She, whoever, was impressed with the infrastructure development in a place she terms “the green province”.
“Infrastructure is amazing in Limpopo, compared to years ago. The roads are top notch and even in Lebowakgomo there are tarred roads. The roads are also family-friendly and the places where there’s cattle have been closed nicely so that animals don’t wonder on the roads and cause accidents. I think other provinces will soon follow suit and do things like they do in Limpopo.”
Mrs Sekgobela is currently planning to shoot a live DVD, scheduled for release on November 27, while her latest track, Surely, is among the highest on radio playlists across the country.
“Infrastructure is amazing in Limpopo, compared to years ago. The roads are top notch and even in Lebowakgomo there are tarred roads.”