[h2]A true miracle of the township. [/h2]
Four boys with voices of gold, Morgan, Lwazi, Jabu and Zensele who make up the amazing acapella group Africa Entsha, travel once again from their native Soweto to Staffordshire to headline the third Stafford Arts Festival in September 2013.
[blockquote]a cap·pel·la adverb or adjective \ˌä-kə-ˈpe-lə\ Without instrumental accompaniment. Italian a cappella in chapel style. First Known Use: circa 1864[/blockquote]
The South African vocal quartet last appeared at the Staffordshire arts festival in 2012 bringing with them their unique style from the beating heart of Soweto. Great music, inspirational harmonies, fabulous dance, uniquely African voices., and now tour the world wowing audiences wherever they perform.
Their full name, Africa Entsha Soweto means “new Soweto” in Zulu, and it’s amazing to learn that just a few years ago their enire world was busking the hard streets of the Soweto township, struggling to earn a crust. Their only antidote to poverty, unemployment, violence, delinquency and boredom was singing.
Every Sunday since childhood the four friends, motivated by their faith celebrated the Gospel music that they had listened to growing up and sang in the choir of their school and local church.
And then… one day in July 2008, fate provided an unexpected hand when reknown French music producer Nicolas Ferru became curious enough to abandon the bright lights central Johannesburg to discover another reality of South Africa, in one of the small townships.
On hearing that the famous music mogul was having a drink in a small local restaurant the foursome ran over and sang for him using no other instrument than their vocal cords and their hands to provide the beat.
Nicolas Ferru was so impressed he spent the next few years working with the boys, and three years on they have toured the world, recorded an album and performed at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup.
The smart, slick a cappella four-piece who have now deservedly reached a global audience, are distinct from the other African music shows that have stormed the UK Festival scene in recent years in that they freely blend western pop elements of the male vocal harmony tradition into their performance, making for a diverse set which draws on the vibrancy of 1950s doo-wop, the all-singing, all-dancing presentation of the 1960s soul groups and the more saccharine tendencies of the modern R&B outfits as much as the soft, healing invocations and exhilarating spirit of their own tribal cultures.
You can catch Africa Entsha Soweto when they perfrom at the third Stafford Arts Festival on Saturday 7th September 2013. Not to be missed.
