A festive clap and tap music celebration

By Emily Setona

TSHIAME – Frans Mazibuko founder of St. Francis Gospel Singers put together a clap and tap gospel music show at Tsebong Primary school to introduce this genre of gospel music to the community as well as to give much needed visibility to his gospel group that has been around since 2006.

When speaking to The Guard Frans Mazibuko said, “The reason for organizing this show is to grow the name of our group and to introduce ourselves to the young kids so that they are exposed to this type of gospel music and stay away from harmful things such as drugs that are rife in our community and also to inspire the young ones to worship and love God.”

“When I was growing up watching my father put together his choir I started to attend practices and then my love for this genre grew until my father asked me to join the group and that’s when I invited a group of my friends and we have since joined the choir and we love this music,” Goodman Mazibuko son of Frans Mazibuko said.

Clap and tap is South African praise music which involves vocals accompanied by clapping of hands and stamping of feet. This music can be inclusive of indigenous instruments such as cabassa, shaker, djembe drum, triangle, woodblock and many more. “As the president of Elegants Gospel Choir from Kestell, I am here today to support my colleague and longtime friend Frans Mazibuko in this show to introduce this genre of gospel music to the community. Clap and tap is a type of gospel music that heals people, inspires them and just uplifts their spirit,” Ditaba Motloung said.

Pitso Maruping the founder of St. Pitso Spiritual group has come all the way from Bloemfontein to support Mazibuko in his show.

“I am very happy to be here today because in the 13 years that our group has been around, this is the first time that we travelled to this side of the Free State. I am very proud to see so many supporters of this genre of music gathered here today to celebrate with St. Francis as well as other groups. Johanna Tshabalala came all the way from Pretoria to watch St. Francis perform and this is what she said when speaking to The Guard; “I used to be a singer for the group right at the beginning stages of the choir and every time that I hear that they will be performing I make sure to buy a ticket because I love St Francis very much.”

“I am very happy to see the turnout of our supporters in numbers coming from different places, to support our show today. I feel very proud,” Selina Mazibuko the secretary and head of administration for St. Francis Gospel Singers and wife to Frans Mazibuko said.