Cape Town - The Hout Bay Ingoma Choir from Imizamo Yethu is preparing to delight an audience at Christ Church in Constantia during a performance early next month.
The choir will bring a mix of African traditional choral music and pop covers to the stage on Sunday, April 7 at 3pm, in a show intended to build bridges between communities.
Founder and manager Tanya Blacher assisted with setting up the choir in 2017 after “falling in love with the art of African choral music” and looking at ways to uplift the township of Imizamo Yethu.
“I found a conductor and got some advice and contacts in the community and we held open auditions, not knowing whether anyone was going to show up.
“Just doing some publicity around it and we got about 70 people queuing up to audition one Saturday in August 2017, and many of them were amazing singers, so that was our first choir.”
The choir is often called on and hired to perform at private functions such as weddings, birthday parties, conferences, funerals and opening events, as well as commercial appearances, with some notable ones being for Shoprite, Spur and Ackermans.
The choir has also worked with recording artists and for live performances as backing vocals for Majozi, Bongeziwe Mabandla and recently with British singer-songwriter Waiting For Smith.
“The objective really is to celebrate the art of African choral music and also to uplift the community,” Blacher said.
Another highlight for the choir is when the group departs to perform at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda for a co-production with the Amoyo Youth Dance Project.
An annual summer concert is also held in Hout Bay, showcasing the choir’s musical talents.
Choir conductor Lunathi Ncamani has also been appointed as a choral conducting lecturer at Stellenbosch University’s Music Department.
“We are all excited about the concert. I see the concert as a way of expanding our audience, as the choir, as well as sharing our love of choral music,” Blacher said.
“I believe our diverse programme will cater for everyone, young, old, and all different ethnicities.
“I believe it is also a great platform for our choir to express its growth after a long hiatus which we experienced during Covid.
“After the regulated lockdowns, we have come to appreciate every chance we get to perform, and this is a great chance for us.”
Tickets at a cost of R160 (seating unreserved) are available via Quicket or contact 082 218 0100.
For more information on the choir, visit ingoma.co.za.