Ikgalaletse Gospel Show offers recording lifeline
Goitsemodimo Kaelo - Kago Joromea | Tuesday July 25, 2023 06:00
The first Annual Ikgalaletse Gospel Show is billed for August 26 at the Royal Aria Stadium in Tlokweng. The show will feature performances by one of South Africa's leading gospel groups, Tshwane Gospel Choir, Sechaba Pali, Thin Zungu, Takesure Zamar Ncube, Sesame, Omega Khunou, Shinkie, Vusi Mtokufa, Chris Willie Bofelo and many more.
Briefing members of the media on Friday, the event organiser, Bakang Pusoitsile said the broader mandate of the show is to empower communities. Pusoitsile also said one of the things that will come out of the show is the formation of a choir which will be adopted by the Tshwane Gospel Choir for mentorship. 'After the Ikgalaletse show, we will conduct auditions with Tshwane Gospel Choir for the formation of a local choir that will be mentored by one of the top three choirs in South Africa. We are currently in talks with the choirs because we want to empower them. Members of this choir will be mentored and assisted to record and release albums,' Pusoitsile said.
Furthermore, she indicated that they have partnered with some local churches to sell the show tickets and in turn, receive commission from the sales. Additionally, she said they have made a deliberate decision not to give out stalls for free in an effort to empower local vendors. “There is another project that we will roll out with Minister Sesame in prisons whereby we will train and mentor interested inmates on music instruments and vocal training in order to give them hope that being there is not the end of the world,” she added.
She explained that the idea of a concert came to her as a vision two years ago, and she is adamant that God has guided her through this whole journey and will make it a success despite the challenges.
With gospel shows normally held in halls or up to midnight, Bakang said they wanted to break the stereotype and have a fully fledged festival at the stadium which ends in the morning. She also appealed for sponsorships from the corporate world.
Mox Gaolape, who is the event consultant, said they want to make gospel shows appealing and inclusive by allowing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages at the show.
“This is because we don’t want men to drop their families at the gate and go to the clubs then collect them in the morning when the show ends. We also want them to spend time with their families throughout the night while enjoying their drinks,” Gaolape said. Mox also urged Batswana to buy tickets on time and avoid last-minute rushes.
He said all tickets will be scammed at the gate to confirm their authenticity. The organisers were joined at the briefing by two local artists, Sesame and Shinkie, whilst South African artists Omega, Jasmine (representing Tshwane Gospel Choir) and Keletso from One Gospel Show joined via Zoom. Omega said he is more than ready to give his supporters a mouth watering performance and promised to play some of his latest releases. Jasmine said it will be their first time coming to Botswana.
However, he said he is aware that they have a great fan base in the country so they want to give their best. He said they will come with a full band to the show. Meanwhile, the organisers said the show will be documented and aired by the Africa One Gospel channel and the Btv. Among the show's sponsors include Platinum Posh, Btv, Digital Storm and Webtickets. Tickets for the show sell at P200 general, P300 Golden Circle and P1,000 VIP.