A year after losing his job due to the lockdown, musician Tsholofelo Ntuli is celebrating a $100,000 (about R1.5m) windfall for his group Hush SA, which won a popular a cappella singing competition.
The six-piece local gospel group were crowned the champions of season 2 of the pan-African Old Mutual Amazing Voices in a spectacular finale on Sunday.
The group first entered season 1 of the show that aired on Mzansi Magic in 2019 but didn’t advance past the audition process. “This time around we told ourselves that we are going for the win. We also changed a few members,” Ntuli said.
“I think the first time around we were not quite in unity. So this time we were in one accord and had the same goal in mind, that it’s do or die.”
Ntuli and Nicholas Malimba are the only two remaining members of the group that was launched in Snake Park, Soweto, in 2009 with 13 people.
Phumlani Tshabalala, Zamaokuhle Nkosi, Sinethemba Magubane and Thami Mthabela complete the current members.
The win marks their biggest break to date as solo acts or as a group.
Ntuli has entered Idols SA but has never received a callback for the TV auditions. “I just thought to myself, let me stick to what I do because these competitions can kill your self-esteem and dreams. Rejection can make you feel like you can’t, when you can,” Ntuli said.
The 29-year-old lost his job at a bank at the beginning of the pandemic last year. After he was evicted from his apartment, he moved in with Malimba.
It was then that Hush SA went viral by recording video clips of them singing hymns as a way to uplift the nation during the pandemic. Ntuli said they plan to invest the prize money in the group by buying a house together.
“We grew up in an underprivileged community that is associated with negativity like drug use. So we wanted to be those guys that stood out, that our circumstances don’t have to determine our future,” Ntuli said
“It was humbling to see the whole community celebrate us during this competition. We feel like we are starting to achieve the mission and vision for Hush SA.”
The second season of the show saw 546 online video entries from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and SA. It was also simulcast in those African countries.
“Mzansi Magic believes that music is an international language that crosses borders and brings people of different nationalities together,” said Nomsa Philiso, director of local entertainment channels at M-Net.
“As a broadcaster with an African footprint, we believe that bringing African talent to the fore and developing budding careers is a part of our reason for being.
“We are proud of our heritage and our unique ability to use our resources to build recognition for talented Africans.”
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