Vundla is lead-singer and producer for Galile Labangcwele, launched late last year and catapulted to instant stardom by their unique blend of Zion music.
“The most important quality in a gospel singer is that, just like a pastor, they must live within the confines of Christianity,” said Vundla. “Being driven by the love for money will see us sing one thing and act something else and that will only tarnish our genre. People out there are always ready to judge you if you are a gospel singer and therefore, it is very important for one to live what one preaches so that they are not found wanting.”
Vundla and his group, based in the slummy Johannesburg suburb of Diepsloot, have enjoyed tremendous support from gospel music lovers in both Zimbabwe and South Africa with their two albums – Inyama Namathambo (flesh and bones) and Injabulo Yasekhaya (Homely).
The group is on the verge of being one of very few, if not the only, Zimbabwean group to have recorded three albums within a year, as they are preparing to return to the studio for a follow-up release within the next few weeks. They are also halfway through producing a 12-track DVD to combine videos of songs from their first two albums.
“We have enjoyed tremendous support since the release of our debut album and the decision to record another album and DVD comes from the pressure we are getting from the fans, who want more of our music,” added the Tsholotsho-born musician, who is also a pastor with the same Zion church.
“We formed the nine-member group last year, after we had realised that the talent we had was so good that it could not just go to waste. We are more concerned with preaching the word of God that anything else, so we want to reach out to even those who cannot visit us in church and that is the reason we will keep responding to calls from our supportive fans.
“For a group that is predominantly members of the Zion church, we decided to stick to our church songs so that we bring something unique to music fans and this has helped a lot, judging by the support we have continued to receive from the fans.”
Post published in: Entertainment