I was greeted with a packed Barnyard theater on Monday as I attended the live DVD recording for the launch of South African legend Neville D’s new album, Beauty of Difference.
I have to be honest straight off the bat and say I didn’t know Neville D well going into this, and I’ve never been to a Gospel event – or even the Barnyard theatre, for that matter. I really didn’t know what to expect.
I was greeted in the foyer by a bunch of friendly, welcoming faces, and rows upon rows of BOD (Beauty of Difference) goodie bags that attendees received at the door. They had a few vendors selling cool merchandise, including English and Afrikaans versions of BOD. There was also a section where audience members could record a shout-out or thank you to Neville about his performance.
Neville had many of his friends and fellow musicians perform their own cover versions of his songs. Before each of them did so, they all shared a heartfelt message of how Neville D impacted their lives.
The night opened with Leavel Eaton, who is from my hometown, Durban. I was impressed with his amazing voice as he sang Sun Will Shine Again. Andre Petersen and his wife, who played a classical bass, performed an amazing version of Our God is Bigger in a jazz style which was very refreshing and different. Euclid Jacobs was up next on the keys – he played an amazing version of Calling My Name. Next up, a very funkily dressed young guy holding a huge tan guitar – a popular musician in Cape Town called Jonathan Rubain. He really got the crowd pumping with his version of I Press. Wilmot Fredericks followed with Pray and Topdog called Ready to Go before the main act came on stage.
The name Beauty of Difference isn’t just a cool title – the opening performers were just that: different! Each artist brought their own style and personality to every song they sang. I was in complete awe of the vocalists, soulful sounds, and amazing control from every performer. Even if it was an instrument that was played, the manner it was done in was with absolute excellence.
Christian Art’s Cher Murphy introduced the man of the moment on stage before a few media colleges from the audience had some kind words to say about Neville D (because he was busy changing wardrobe after being in the crowd). He opened a few minutes later with a vibey song that got the crowd going.
The show was fantastic and there was a faith-filled atmosphere in the packed Barnyard Theatre. My favourite part was hearing the amazing sound from the top balcony from the Beauty of Difference choir. Neville D is such an authentic artist – he took time during the show to share his story of where he came from, and even took time out to honour a fan who flew in from Johannesburg who was seeing him perform live for the very first time.
I left the venue thinking about the power of gospel music, and its future, which by all accounts is bright. There’s a reason why so many people came out on a Monday night to enjoy it!
Here are some photos from the event – see if you can find yourself if you were there!
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