Celebrated gospel ensemble Joyous Celebration will take to the stage this month to celebrate women.
The award-winning choir will present a virtual production in honour of the phenomenal women of South Africa, led by an all-female cast of vocalists – for women by women.
In response to the “new norm” of the Covid-19 pandemic, Joyous Celebration recently launched a new platform, JoyousTV, the home for all Joyous video content. It is through this platform that the three-hour production will be streamed live on Saturday, August 21 at 6pm.
This celebration will also feature female guests, including some Joyous alumni who have performed on the Joyous stage in the past.
“We’re inviting and encouraging people to ’make a date’ of it, whether they will be watching it with their girls, friends or families,” said co-founder and producer of the group, Dr Lindelani Mkhize.
“The show promises to be another spectacular production that we hope will turn it into an annual celebration and tribute of all the daughters of our beautiful country.
“With a varied repertoire that will not only focus on music from the latest album, viewers will be captivated by the beautiful, melodic voices of our women-only vocalists – they won’t even miss the male singers.”
“One of the few positive outcomes of the pandemic has been the introduction and growth of virtual shows,” said co-founder, Jabu Hlongwane.
“We know that it’s not the same experience, but we have embraced the power of technology with its limitless boundaries.
“We will be able to reach a larger audience, share ourselves with the world at the same time, and touch people we wouldn’t have ordinarily reached through a live show.”
Joyous is known for producing some of the country’s biggest female stars: Ntokozo Mbambo, Hlengiwe Ntombela, Mahalia Buchanan, Charisma Hanekom and Brenda Mtambo.
Nomthy Sibisi, one of the established anchor singers who has enjoyed a successful run with the ensemble, said it these were exciting times.
“These are exciting times as we show what we are made of, without our male counterparts.
“Not only do we get to go back to the stage to do what we love, but we do so as a women-only cast (aside from the band), to celebrate ourselves, our mothers, sisters, daughters and all the women who came before us and those who will come after us,” she said.