Soweto Gospel Choir in Perth

March 6, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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choirimage

Many people consider South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir to be the most exciting group to emerge in world music in recent years. That claim is backed up by the fact they’ve won two Grammies.

The Choir’s repertoire reflects their faith and spiritual journey, sung in six different languages.

Since its first international performances in Australia in 2003, Soweto Gospel Choir has become a worldwide phenomenon performing sell-out concerts across the world and singing alongside superstars including Bono, Queen, Annie Lennox, Diana Ross, Jimmy Cliff and Celine Dion, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and others.
shimmy
They’re currently in Perth for a concert and I was very pleased to welcome founding member Shimmy Jiyane to the studio this morning during my radio program on 98five.

I’ve seen the choir in concert and I can assure you that they put on a show that you’ll never forget. The smiles on other concert goers after their concert suggest that they certainly know how to please an audience. I can’t imagine anyone leaving their shows without feeling uplifted.

If you want to hear a little of the history of the choir, their faith story and more about their performances, just click the play button on the audio player below.



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When your god dies

October 9, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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USmoney.jpgWhether you believe in a supreme being or not you’d have to admit that humans have an inbuilt desire to worship. You might not call it worship but we do have a strong tendency to raise people or things high on the pedestals of our desire.

We worship other people, money, success and many other things in our lives. We give ourselves completely and often stake our lives on whatever it is that becomes our god.

The worldwide financial crisis has brought the death of god for many people across the globe. Many people who have put their trust in riches are now scrambling to keep their heads above water. Even those who would have said that money and financial security weren’t the most important things in their lives have started to see just what a hold it has had on them.

This story tells us about a man who found the current crisis too much too handle. Without the trappings of riches he felt it was better that his entire family was dead, so he killed his wife, his three sons and his mother-in-law before taking his own life. Police found three letters he had left in the family home detailing his financial difficulties. What a terrible tragedy. It’s so sad to think that someone believed so strongly that death was better than life without money that he threw away so many precious lives.

I’d have to admit that Bono has given the current crisis a bit of perspective that’s hard to argue against.

It is extraordinary to me that you can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire (Group of Eight nations) can’t find $25 billion to save 25,000 children who die every day of preventable disease and hunger.

I guess it’s a reminder to us once again to decide carefully where we choose to put our trust. When our god is money, we will be let down. When our god is other people, they will fail us. When our god is success, we will find it slipping through our fingers.

What or who will you choose to worship?

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. – 1 Timothy 6:17



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Soweto Gospel Choir in Perth

June 17, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

sgc.jpgMany people consider South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir to be the most exciting group to emerge in world music in recent years. That claim is backed up by the fact they’ve won two Grammies.

The Choir’s repertoire reflects their faith and spiritual journey. Their latest show, African Spirit, is sung in six different languages.

Since the choir’s first international performances in Australia in 2003, Soweto Gospel Choir has become a worldwide phenomenon, performing sell-out concerts across the world and singing alongside superstars including Bono, Queen, Annie Lennox, Diana Ross, Jimmy Cliff and Celine Dion, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and others.

They’re in Perth for four concerts. Pauline and I were privileged to be in the audience for the first of those concerts last night at His Majesty’s Theatre.

It was a real pleasure to welcome a number of representatives from the choir to the studio this morning during my morning radio programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM. I had opportunity to talk to a couple of members and enjoy a live performance in the studio.

You can hear the interview by clicking on the play button of the audio player at the bottom of this post.

It was fantastic to hear them talk about their faith and the opportunities they have to talk about spirituality to such diverse audiences.



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