| African Spirit Tour | Soweto Gospel Choir |
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One of 2007’s most popular performances in trans:mission, the Soweto Gospel Choir returns in 2008 to perform their brand new show, African Spirit, on 22 and 23 June in the Festival Theatre.
Heralded as the most exciting group to emerge in world music in recent years, the two-time Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir is returning to Adelaide with African Spirit, as part of a national tour of 24 cities.
African Spirit celebrates the strength of the human spirit and captures the beauty and passion of African music. Through vibrant rhythm, movement and its renowned vocal tapestry, the Choir performs a repertoire that reflects some of the history of its nation, songs of remembrance for the past, as well as songs of joy and praise for the present and future, with a repertoire ranging from the traditional African gospel song to an extraordinary new interpretation of Bob Dylan’s Remember You. Under choirmaster David Mulovhedzi, the Soweto Gospel Choir draws on the best talent from the many churches and communities in and around Soweto, South Africa and performs in six different languages, including English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho.
Since its first international performances in Australia in 2003, the Soweto Gospel Choir has become a worldwide phenomenon performing sell-out concerts at the world’s greatest concert halls. In its short but spectacular career, the Soweto Gospel Choir has sung alongside superstars including Bono, Queen, Annie Lennox, Dionne Warwick, Jimmy Cliff and Celine Dion, shared top billing in Paris with South African legend, Johnny Clegg, was the support act to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in Germany and recorded with Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant for the Fats Domino tribute album Going Home.
The choir has sung on numerous occasions for Nelson Mandela, was the guest at Oprah’s famous 2007 New Years party at Sun City, performed for Bill Clinton and sang Happy Birthday to its beloved Patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. For the past two years the choir has won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album, for African Spirit (2008) and Blessed (2007).
Members of the choir also contribute to Nkosi’s Haven/Vukani (meaning to arise, do something!), the choir’s charity foundation set up to assist the lives of AIDS orphans back home in South Africa. To date, the Soweto Gospel Choir has raised almost US$1 million from audience donations and last year fed, clothed and housed over 600 orphans.
”Two thousand people clapping along to an up-tempo version of The Holy City, and the ushers bopping along at the doors, just about sums it up…” The Advertiser
The Soweto Gospel Choir
African Spirit Tour
Venue: Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
When: 21 June, 8pm; 22 June, 2pm
Cost: Adults $60/$50/$40, Concession $55/$45/$40, Family (2 + 2) $36.25/$30/$23.75 per person,
Family extra child $25/$20/$15
Bookings: BASS on 131 246 or online at www.bass.net.au
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Thursday, 08 January 2009
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