by Thato Rossouw
Phonetic harmony is a goal that not many bands that set out to achieve ever do. But for the HARVEST Live in Concert band, reaching this goal is not only a feat they achieve — it is one they do so with grandeur, writes Thato Rossouw
The point of music
The aim of a band, whenever it plays, is to ensure that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It is to ensure that, while individual brilliance is celebrated and respected, the greater good is served over the desires of the individuals, and no better embodiment of this principle exists outside OnPoint Music.
Meet the Band
The band comprises four members — bass guitarist Platjie Tsepo, drummer Dumelang Tsepo, and keyboardists Tintswalo Ndlovu and Sfiso Mbambo — who are no strangers to each other and are a perfect embodiment of the adage, “Kopano ke matla.”
While each member possesses a musical prowess strong enough to give them a comfortable seat at the table of greats one day, together the band members produce a level of musical brilliance so massive that it is worth every moment one spends listening to, and deserves all the laud it receives.
The four band members, according to Platjie, have worked together before, and this is made obvious by how easy it is for them to find each other in their efforts at creating harmony. They have developed a unique language, spoken with swift movements of the eye, which allows them to communicate to each other what to do and how to do it.
There are strings attached
Platjie Tsepo, who also doubles as the musical director of the show, strokes his guitar with a level of skill that would amaze even those who are well-versed in the art of guitarism. He goes into any song he’s called up to, finds his place in its melodic make-up, and stays there, allowing the baritone of his guitar to do all the talking from then onwards. He is never lost, is always stable in his position, and never lets a song deny him an opportunity of becoming one with it.
The drum boy
If there ever was a man whose skill on the drums could make you believe he was born with a pair of drum sticks in his hands, it’s Dumelang Tsepo: the ever-versatile drummer. He is a leader, a masterful provider of tempo; and also finds no trouble in being a follower when it is required of him to do so.
I got the keys…
On the keys are two people with a unique but equal genius: Tintswalo Ndlovu and Sfiso Mbambo. The two work together, regularly passing playful glances at each other, to provide the keys that knit together the band’s instrumental fibre. The band and singers look to them for a sense of unity and a direction in terms of the notes, and they never disappoint in their delivery. They hold together what is already great and make it better.
Again, this is not a show
If one were to judge based on what happens at rehearsals, the audience can expect HARVEST Live in Concert to be both entertaining and beautiful. The music and talent that on display is sure to make the Mangaung Christian community have an intimate worship experience and, based on the band’s definition of worship, “a personal communication with God.”
HARVEST Live in Concert is taking place on 24 September 2017 at Mangaung Civic Theatre. Tickets are selling at R100 (pre-sold) and R120 at the door. Follow Thembekile Tshabalala on Facebook and @thembekileta on Twitter for more info.
Thato Rossouw is ART STATE Senior Writer. He is @Thato_Rossouw on Twitter.
PICTURES: Anathi Nyadu
