- Joyous Celebration to stage a live performance in Gaborone
- Event will hopefully become an annual event in Botswana
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Batswana will get to see one of Africa’s celebrated gospel choirs, Joyous Celebration live on the 25th of August at the University of Botswana Indoor Sport Arena, a statement confirmed by Joyous Celebrations founder Lindelani Mkhize last week in Gaborone. Hosted by promotions company Braveheart, the gospel ensemble will bring spiritual upliftment at the “Life Changing Concert” which is part of their Joyous Celebration 22 Tour which kick started in South Africa this year.
“Joyous Celebration will arrive in Gaborone on the 24th August and they will be performing music from their 22nd album and there might also be a surprise in store for fans. They will be led by the spirit so there is no telling which songs they will add to their performance,” Mkhize said, confirming that fans of the group are assured of a world class performance and the distinct Joyous sound that made the ensemble a household name .
Commenting on the concert Managing Director of Braveheart, Joseph Manuel said the concert is a family friendly event guaranteed to change the lives of the many people expected to attend. “This is a life changing concert and we will not be allowing alcohol into the venue. We want our young people to experience great pleasure without indulging in alcohol and substances,” he said, adding that they will be soon announce the local artists billed to perform alongside Joyous at a later stage.
With their modern spin to traditional hymns, joyous Celebration choral arrangements are a Sunday staple for many Batswana households. Their last performance in the country was back in 2011, a disorganized show they were unhappy about. They have since smoked the peace pipe with the organizers and hope this time around their relationship will grow to make the show an annual event in Botswana.
“There was a long break after our last performance because most logistics were done in a hurry and we were not happy. Braveheart learnt from that and they have been following and checking how we do things back at home. We are now seeing an improvement in preparations for the show, they are ticking all the boxes and we are seeing a massive and positive response from Batswana. Now we can’t wait to get on stage,” Mkhize told Time Out.
While they are here Mkhize says they are hoping to build a relationship with Batswana as well as possible musical collaborations with local acts. “We may discover fresh raw talent that can potentially be part of Joyous to groom and grow with us. We work with everyone, even if there is a Motswana songwriter who feels that they have a song we could use, it can be sent through to us and we would see how we can work with it,” he said.
The award-winning musical dynasty is sponsored by telecommunications network MTN, branding the group as the ‘MTN Joyous Celebration’. The choir usually comprises of 30 to 35 singers and a 6 to 12 piece band. Tickets for the show are available at Webtickets in all Spars around the country. Gold tickets sell for P400 while Silver tickets sell for P300.