SEPUTLA Sebogodi's CD sleeve for his latest album, Re Tshwarele Melato, shows the man popularly known as Kenneth Mashaba on Generations looking like the much-vilified character he portrays - only a bit more enigmatic.

In the sleeve picture he is dressed in a Mashaba suit and stares in the distance, which adds another dimension to him: Seputla the African gospel singer.

"I grew up in church and I don't think people understand that in our church, the ZCC, I sing more than I talk from Friday to Sunday. When I tell people this they find it very hard to believe," Sebogodi says.

Well, he still looks regal in a casual jacket and jeans and carries himself in an official manne,r but more polite. His speech still carries a hefty chunk of Limpopo and often switches to Sepedi, his mother tongue.

He is the kind of fellow that was born to be a performer and as such has found great success in the theatre and on television.

His demeanour is suited to the pomp and spectacle of theatre and it looks as if he is two seconds away from bursting into a soliloquy.

But he tells me that music was always his first love.

"I always knew that I wanted to be a singer. I had two choices: singing or playing soccer," he says.

"My love for music was enhanced when I met Oleseng (Shuping) because that man was music. I love music and sometimes wish it was the only thing I could do. But I was also good at soccer. They used to call me 'Ace' and they cannot call you 'Ace' if you are not good.

"But acting came first by accident because an actor in a stage production did not show up and I replaced him. That's when the acting bug bit."

The music on his second album is gospel, influenced by ZCC tradition, though he incorporates African sounds. The harmonic voices popularised by choirs such as Amadodana Ase Wesile are a constant feature of the album.

"The album honours my mom for teaching me how to pray. And the title track is to say if there is anywhere I went wrong, ang tshwarele. (forgive me).

"And on the whole gospel music is music where people look for warmth when they are cold. I hope when people listen to particular tracks in the album batlo phuthuluga moeng (free in spirit)".

Though he is a consummate musician and his album bears testament to this, the spectre of being Kenneth Mashaba still follows him around. But he insists that similarities between him and the character are few and far between.

"The only thing I wish I had from Kenneth Mashaba is his courage to tackle difficult issues with such ease. Other than that I think he is very tjatjarag ." (too forward)

Sebogodi's CD is now available in stores.