Lifestyle

Kerebotswe revives Zion gospel

Sengwaketse PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
 
Sengwaketse PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

The event's organiser and also gospel artist, Neo Kerebotswe said she decided to give the genre the spotlight it deserves by hosting the second edition of the festival.

The festival will start from 6pm and end at 6am the following morning. It will feature gospel artists from Eswatini and South Africa (SA) such as Bishop Gcina Masuku and Bishop Ntenteza Weskhalanga both from Eswatini, Family of God Choir and Bakang Tiro from SA. Local artists include Aregopoleng Gospel, Gale D Bird, Obakeng Sengwaketse, Revelation in Christ and Kanye Zion Acapella.

In an interview with Arts & Culture, Kerebotse said she personally grew up in church where she started singing in church choirs. She also hosted charity concerts before she became an artist. “I realised that in our country, the gospel music industry is not highly rated especially the Zion Gospel. I therefore found it fit to introduce Zion Gospel Back To School with the believe that it will revive the music genre and help it to grow,” she said. Kerebotswe further explained that their mission is to bring gospel artists together and give upcoming choirs and artists the opportunity to showcase their talent also to put Zion music on the spotlight again.

She also pointed out that despite being a gospel event, the event is targeting everyone. She added that she was positive that one day the event will grow and be held at a big venue like the National Stadium.

However, Kerebotswe said they lacked sponsors, saying financial constraints have affected their preparations for the festival. She said it is hard to reach their goals and dreams.

She called on individuals, companies and investors for assistance. Since this is a Christian event, Kerebotswe said alcohol would not be sold nor allowed at the venue. She also assured attendees that the security would be very tight saying it was their top priority. Dress code is school uniforms. Tickets for the event are available at all web tickets outlets. VIP ticket sells at P150 while Standard costs P100. Children and senior citizens tickets are sold for P50. Kerebotswe also noted that tickets would not be sold on the day of the event.