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Gospel greats at their best

DON'T STOP THE MUSIC: Joyous Celebration performing at the Teatro, north of Jozi. PHOTO: VELI NHLAPO
DON'T STOP THE MUSIC: Joyous Celebration performing at the Teatro, north of Jozi. PHOTO: VELI NHLAPO

FIFTEEN years of Joyous Celebration has culminated in the famous gospel group's best show.

South Africa's most successful gospel group took the audience down memory lane on Saturday with its old hits at the Teatro in Montecasino, Fourways, north of Johannesburg. And what a performance it was.

Dubbed Joyous Rewind Experience, the gig celebrated the group's 15 years in the music industry. Troupers such as Thabo Mdluli, Nhlanhla Mdluli and dancer Somizi Mhlongo brought the house down.

They were dishing out some of the group's hits since it hit the road 15 years ago.

Music lovers from all walks of life had a whale of a time. They packed the big venue to capacity and agreed that "Joyous Celebration's performance was taken to another level".

Kagiso Maletsa of Soshanguve in Pretoria said: "I have been following Joyous closely but today's performance was just something else. It is more lively and entertaining than the other concerts. I think the experience of the singers also prevailed during the show."

Agnes Sibiya said the show revived her spiritually.

"I am a big fan of Joyous and for the past two years I could not attend their Pretoria performances because I was out of town. But after seeing them on stage tonight I am speechless.

"This is a magnificent performance," Sibiya said.

Jabu Hlongwane of Joyous Celebration said: "When we toyed around with the idea we never thought it would be this successful. It was crazy and people enjoyed it. The success of this show poses a big challenge for us."

The special show was staged as part of the MTN Ayoba Festival.

He said the response of the audience reminded them that the ensemble was bigger than its founders.

"Joyous is no longer our thing. It belongs to the people. We listen to what they want and fuse it with what we feel to produce a successful group," Hlongwane said.

"When we started 15 years ago we never thought it would be such a success. We had just one show in mind. It just kept on growing."

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