As Christians use this weekend to reflect on their faith and reaffirm their conviction, practitioners of South African gospel music would do well to reflect on their craft, and especially its centrality and meaning to the many followers of JC — and not JZ, who has taken to likening himself to Christ.
South African gospel music does little more than whip up emotion in a spiritual frenzy. A lot of the material is not original. It comes, in almost all our official languages, from the hymn books of various denominations. Yet, for music that is inspired by the Bible, the material could be a lot richer. Gospel singers rarely venture beyond the popular tales and characters encountered in primary school religious classes. Apart from their claim to heal, they do not deepen our sense of spirituality or appreciation for liturgy.
This weekend, two of the many outfits taking to the stage are the Soweto Gospel Choir and Joyous Celebration, or JC. They are both inverted models of how choirs function. Normally, community choirs toil for many years from the meagre resources of a benefactor until they get invited to perform at the Union Buildings — their earnings pay for uniforms. But these two choirs were sponsored to satisfy a demand.
In the case of the Soweto Gospel Choir, it was for Australian audiences. The result is that members sing traditional music rather than gospel. Even their approach to the spiritual sound is more a recital of familiar lyrics than a deep, spiritual engagement. Their brilliance lies in clean voices and, at times, they are closer to dance extravaganza Umoja! than to a gospel show.
Joyous Celebration is in its 10th season. Its most enduring influence has been to cross-pollinate across denominations using its charismatic worship style or that of Abazalwane. These days, it is not uncommon for different denominations conducting graveside service to share in common songs, rather than trying to outdo each other with miscued renditions.
The most successful gospel outfits are those that have stuck to their original denominations and remain unswayed by changing audience tastes. Barorisi Ba Morena, an Apostolic choir that has more than 20 albums to its name, comes to mind. The list also includes Amadodanana ase Wesile, the Methodist Church’s young men’s guild in red waistcoats, who retain their evocative Xhosa-based singing style. The International Pentecostal Holy Church and Zion Christian Church, with their style known as Mokhukhu, also boast choirs that are proud flag bearers of distinguished religious tradition.
And then there is the phenomenon that is Rebecca Malope, the pint-sized, stiletto-heeled queen of gospel. No artist has amassed such a fortune and influenced a generation using such a limited range of keyboard cords and a sultry alto. All Malope offers is a variation of the same theme. For her, gospel music is as much a spiritual journey as it is an enterprise. She has been nominated for a South African Music Award (Sama) every year for the past 10 and this year is no exception.
When artists such as Lundi Tyamara and Deborah Fraser broke through in gospel, they sounded like Malope. These days, she may not be the sole standard bearer, but that could be because the generation she influenced has, in turn, spawned imitations.
Last Sunday, on her TV show Gospel Time, Malope hosted fellow Sama nominees Fraser and Benjamin Dube, a man who, nearly two decades after singing Holy Spirit, will take to the stage at the Wits Great Hall. His appearance is not so much a sign of longevity, but resurgence. After a decade in the wilderness Dube has come back to ride the wave he helped pioneer with the Holy Cross Choir in the Eighties. At one point, all three artists shared the stage to perform a Dube song. Similarity in styles ensured that it all got so enmeshed and indistinguishable that they could have been another Joyous Celebrations.
But audiences do not seem to require that gospel singers conduct themselves according to Christianity. For one, they continually overlook Tyamara’s frequent drunken stupors and brushes with the law. Another musician impregnated a backing singer in what appeared to be an adulterous liaison and initially lied about it. Fraser and Malope were both accused of doing drugs. These indiscretions seem to be frequently brushed aside as audiences rush out to buy their next offering, which makes one wonder if a gospel musician is judged by talent or conduct.
If judged by conduct and image, then Yvonne Chaka Chaka, squeaky clean and on the verge of being a saint, would be the role model. If you judge by talent, the best gospel singer is no longer among us. The late Brenda Fassie proved she could roll with the Bible punchers, even though she did not claim to know her Romans from her Hebrews.
The details
The Soweto Gospel Choir performs at the Civic Theatre from April 15 to 22 (except April 18). Ticket prices range from R60 to R175 at Computicket.
MTN Joyous Celebration runs at the State Theatre from April 13 to 16. Tickets cost between R100 and R140 from Computicket.
The Gospel Alive concert takes place at the Wits University Great Hall, Jo’burg, from April 14 to 16. Tickets cost R70 at Computicket or the box-office.