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Mdantsane-born gospel singer Ncebakazi Msomi will return home on Friday for the launch of her second solo album, 37th Psalm, at the Downtown Christian Centre in KuGompo City — her first major performance in the city after more than two decades away.
Msomi began her professional music career in 2010 after being signed by renowned South African gospel ensemble Joyous Celebration.
She said she was excited to perform for a hometown audience, with the event already sold out.
“Tonight is going to be a night where I bring my entire team from Johannesburg, while also incorporating elements from here in East London,” Msomi said.
“We are coming very excited. I must say, there is something very warm and different about home.
“I’ve done all my shows in Johannesburg before.
“When you establish yourself outside your hometown for so long, people there begin to adopt you, so I’ve been warmly received in Johannesburg and other provinces.
“But, as the saying goes, there is no place like home.”
Her opportunity came while she was singing as a backing vocalist during a church worship service attended by Joyous Celebration founder Lindelani Mkhize.
She went on to spend seven years with the group, performing songs including Wachithigazi and building a national profile within the gospel music industry.
Msomi released her debut solo album, 34th Psalm, in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said the project was inspired by Psalm 34 and was intended to encourage people during one of the most difficult periods in recent history.
“The album encouraged people not to lose hope or become discouraged, but to look to God as the solution during the dark time we were going through,” she said.
Her new album, 37th Psalm, explores themes centred on the Trinity and spiritual restoration.
“So this album is called 37th Psalm — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,” Msomi said.
“God gave me songs that focus on His role as the Father and head of the church, the role of the Holy Spirit as the helper of the church, and Jesus Christ as the redeemer and saviour of the church.
“The songs are very evangelical in nature in that they are calling people to be restored to their original position with God.”
The album features the Assemblies of God choir and includes songs such as Bulelani uYehova Hymn and Yebo Nguye.
Msomi said the launch would include surprise guest appearances and would also be televised.
She said audiences should expect more than just entertainment.
“People should come expecting a personal encounter and not approach it with a collective-experience mindset,” she said.
What we are used to doing in Johannesburg must also be brought here — if not better — because that is how seriously I take my hometown
Msomi said she was determined to deliver a production that matched the standards of major Johannesburg performances, saying audiences in her hometown deserved the same level of excellence.
“I came here with the intention of not treating this as a small-town show,” she said.
“I want to bring the very best experience.
“What we are used to doing in Johannesburg must also be brought here — if not better — because that is how seriously I take my hometown.
“I do not think we should cut corners for the people of my hometown. They do not deserve any less than what we are bringing.”
Daily Dispatch
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