Soul Influence: I Heart This Group!
We all have heard African harmony. From, the classic South African harmony (perhaps the best) to the chats of the west, choirs in the east, and prayer calls of the north,. Musicality is king. So what happens if you mix all these influences and throw in a little geographically hopscotch in the mix?
"Soul Influence is an a cappella ensemble, African in it's
choice of rhythm and beat, Afro-jazz in its musical style, Christian in
its conviction and lyrics, service to God and fellow man in it's
focus." Just listen to these guys. They are so awesome. Perfect pitch, haunting harmony, and soulful beat-boxed African gospel and based in Toronto. Nice.
"Against a backdrop of Western Culture, Soul Influence produces a fusion of distinct African spiritual sounds of Zulu, Shona, Ndebele, Bemba, Lingala, Tonga, Taita and Swahili origin with contemporary Christian gospel music. Soul Influence sings richly layered vocal harmonies, combining the intricate beat and rhythm of the
motherland with the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music.
The result, a powerful sound that is pleasing to the ear and soothing to the soul. The music is deeply rooted in African tradition and culture but the message is universal, it’s the message of Jesus Christ. The sound and rhythm of the music bring to life the vibrancy of Africa to the hearts of those who hear it."
The group also focuses on community involvement, with their AIDS awareness campaigns in partnership with The Stephen Lewis Foundation, Compassion Canada and some of their projects include Mully Children's Family (Kenya), Arthur Davidson Hospital (Zambia) and Kajiado (Kenya). They have also toured all over the US, Kenya and Zambia and performed at various events including The Urban Aids
Concert with Artists like Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado K-OS & Keisha
Chante.
Members include: Uitsile Ndlovu (Soprano/ Alto), Dorothy Ghettuba (Soprano), Miriam Chimanga (Alto), Fred Onsoti (Tenor/ vocal percussion), Simba Nyawiri (Tenor/ Bass/ Vocal Percussion), and Valentine Mandeya (Bass/ vocal percussion)