GOSPEL DIGEST

SBUBanda ( pictured) is an up-andcoming gospel musician who is set to make waves on the local and regional scene. As he wraps up the preparations for his second album, the young singer who hails from Pretoria took time to chat with us about what to expect.

“I am doing a second album which is going to be recorded as a live CD and DVD which will feature Benjamin Dube,” said Banda.

His first album, Ungalahli Ithemba was also a live album and Banda seems happy with the result, so he wants to do it again, only better this time. “Last time we just had an audio CD, but I want to make it visual this time around. This is why we are choosing to add the DVD element,” he explained.

The first album is almost always a success for artists because they write from an honest place. But the second one always proves to be a sticky one thanks to the fact that there is precedence.

Be that as it may, Banda is not in the least bit worried. “From the first album came a number of lessons which I feel I needed to share. I have travelled quite a bit and as an artist you need to have something new.

“This means when you return you have to have some growth in you. I have crafted my work on the second album in a way that will include not only my old fans but the new ones as well,” he said.

These fans also include people from other nations, a thing Banda felt was important to consider for his brand to cross borders.

“I have a song that is in Zulu, Shona and Swahili which was inspired by the xenophobic attacks.

“What it talks about is the perpetrators’ sins eventually catching up with them. I wanted to highlight that hate is wrong,” he said.

But how does a young man with only one album, manage to convince the esteemed Bishop Benjamin Dube of his worth? “I have known him for years and we would communicate every now and then. Last year he said to me he wanted to be part of what I was working on next. So I took him up on that,” said Banda.

Very few artists, especially the established ones, think of the poor the way Banda, who is still coming up through the ranks, does.

“After my first album, I came up with the Ungalahli Ithemba foundation which gets 25 percent of the gate takings. We then donate them to charity. Last time I did a concert I took three pupils from Tembisa to their matric dance and sponsored all they needed. It was all to encourage them to excel at school. We are going to do the same here,” said the singer.

Sbu Banda’s DVD recording takes place at Heartfelt Arena (Voortrekker Road, Pretoria) on September 13 and tickets are priced from R80 at Computicket.