The right balance of laughter and music go a long way towards healing the soul, and the Night of Soul Music show at The Venue@Hemingways on Saturday night married the two perfectly.
The music-meets-comedy show, now in its second year, wowed the audience with soulful music from Idols 2013 winner and Mthande hitmaker Musa Sukwene and Tugela Ferry-born songbird Simmy (real name Simphiwe Nhlangulela), who hit it big in 2018 with two house music tracks, Ubala and Sonini, featuring Sun-EL Musician.
Idols 2018 contestant Thando Mngomezulu, who placed in the top three in the show’s 14th season, set the tone by opening the evening’s programme.
The event, living up to its name, proved a success as it hit all the right notes of drama, soul and love.
Nhlangulela’s soulful versatility spiced up the evening, while Mr Serious Sukwene treated the audience to hits from his previous and current albums such as Nomkhitha, Makoti and Ngivumele.
Well-known Pondo comedian Nomakhisimusi’s traditional Xhosa humour had the audience in stitches, while funny-man Siyanda Maphumulo’s dry sense of humour proved to be just the kind of comic element audience members wanted in- between songs.
While the venue was not at capacity, attendees agreed the intimate setting made for a memorable evening.
Akhona Mbele, who travelled from Stutterheim, said the show was a late Valentine’s Day gift from her significant other.
“My boyfriend surprised me with a ticket because he knows how much I love Simmy’s music, especially the songs from her album Tugela Fairy. I really enjoyed all the performances.”
“The show was well-organised and I really enjoyed myself,” she said.
Khanya Mahe, of Summerpride, said she and a group of girlfriends chose to seal the week of love with a night out.
“The show was amazing, I enjoyed everything.
“I loved how the artists took us back in time with some golden oldies then back [to the future] again.
“I also think the mixture of music and comedy worked in a way because it gave us a break from the music with bouts of laughter,” Mahe said.
Event organiser Nomfezeko Mveku said the event had been a budding dream since 2015.
“This year’s audience was double the number we had last year, which is a sign of growth for us,” she said.
She said each year’s programme would include different music genres to cater for all tastes and keep it interesting.
The 2018 inaugural show featured afro-pop king Ringo Madlingozi, alongside local gospel artists...