Soweto Gospel Choir

The youthful and intrepid Soweto Gospel Choir, a South African-based troupe that includes some 30 members, is one of the most inspiring musical performances you'll see this year, regardless of which altar you pray at. Under the direction of choir leaders David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, the Soweto Gospel Choir delivers elegiac layers of harmony in eight African languages from eleven separate regions of that continent. Performances have been termed spellbinding and masterful, and have ushered a new radiance into the world-famous South African gospel scene, opening up the genre to reggae, rock, and hip-hop influences. While its repertoire focuses on traditional Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho gospel songs, the choir is also known for performing covers of Otis Redding and Jimmy Cliff numbers. Audiences, God-fearing or not, will be transformed.