There is no gospel show like MTN Joyous Celebration.
This bold statement was made by founding choir member, Jabu Hlongwane, when he was asked why people should attend their latest show at GrandWest Casino on Saturday June 29. Their latest offering, MTN Joyous Celebration 23, was recorded live at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) towards the end of last year, nearly a decade after the last time the group recorded a performance in Cape Town .
However, the group have once again returned to the Mother City to promote their latest show and have promised their fans nothing but a world class performance.
Mr Hlongwane told Vukani that when the group was formed, they wanted to bring a unique sound to the industry while unearthing new talent. While they aimed to bring faith, hope and joy to their fans, through the music they produce, he said, it was also important to them that their music appealed to a diverse audience.
He said they also wanted to give budding singers the opportunity to showcase their talent while praising the Lord. “Our music must be meaningful. “We aim to shape lives in one way or another. We want to make an impact. We want people to rejoice.
“Whatever we produce we ensure that it is top quality. We are gratefully to the endless support that we have been getting. Without our fans we are nothing. Our fans are not fans to us, but they are our extended family,” he said.
Highlighting funding as one of the challenges the group faced, he called on sponsors to partner with them – not only to ensure they could perform and record, but also so that they could realise the dream of having their own music school.
Member of MTN Joyous Celebration, Nozipho Phiri, said joining the group – which she described as a family – had been an eye-opener for her and had boosted her career. “We are given freedom to discover our other talents within ourselves.
“We are not only limited to singing, we are allowed to explore our hidden talents,” she said.
Another member, Mbali Mokudubete, said she was excited to be part of the “Joyous family” and that being part of the group had taught her a lot and shaped her musical career.
Tickets cost R180 each and can be booked through computicket.