The triple Grammy Award-winning gospel group, Soweto Gospel Choir, will make their long-awaited return to Australia next month with a huge, brand-new concert tour, Hope, performing over 50 shows all around the country.
The choir, which comprises more than 30 members, was formed in Soweto, South Africa in 2002, with the goal of celebrating the unique and uplifting power of African gospel music – though their distinct sound also borrows elements of traditional hymns, freedom songs, spirituals, reggae, folk and pop music.
Soweto Gospel Choir | Photography: Will Bucquoy
In 2003, they performed at the first of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 benefit concerts before going on to release a string of critically acclaimed albums, including their 2019 album Freedom, which won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album. The group has toured internationally several times and performed with some of the biggest names in music including Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Celine Dion, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peter Gabriel and Josh Groban. They have also amassed more than 15 million views on YouTube.
Soweto Gospel Choir | Photography: Stephen Garnett
Soweto Gospel Choir’s new show, Hope, celebrates the music from two pivotal moments in world history: the Freedom movement of Nelson Mandela’s South Africa and the Civil Rights Movement of Martin Luther King’s 1950s America. The concert begins with a rousing program of South African freedom songs and concludes with moving renditions of protest anthems from the USA, including songs by James Brown, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.
“Hope is a special show for all of us in the Soweto Gospel Choir. These are the songs that we grew up on; that inspired us and that keep inspiring us. Hope showcases the power of song and the power of performance and how they can inspire and soundtrack real change.”– Shimmy Jiyane, Soweto’s Choir Master
Don’t miss Soweto Gospel Choir: Hope at Perth Concert Hall on Sunday 20 August, 5pm. Find tickets and more information.
