WeeklySA_AdminREVIVAL: Gospel great lives up to his calling to teach budding talent how to fish while seeking to heal others through music…
By Gugu Sibiya
After a six-year hiatus, reflection and lots of amassed material, an extremely excited and grateful gospel singer Sipho “Big Fish” Makhabane is launching his latest offering at the weekend.
Titled Sipho Makhabane Live, the album that has long been in the works – thanks to Covid. It’s likely more than a make-up for the long wait for his die-hard fans – after all the speculation about whether he’s hung up the mic.
News of his horrific accident years ago wasn’t helpful either. Meantime the man of the moment is at peace about the relatable experiences and the messages around them will resonate with audiences.
“My silence was not of my making. We were on a roll when life dealt us unexpected cards. I never stopped writing or arranging music. So when I got back on the saddle, I started with Thobekile’s studio album. It was followed by Sipho Makhabane Live, recorded at the Mbombela Civic Theatre in Mpumalanga. My last offering was in 2014, after which I focused on my talent search project. Covid happened, upsetting the apple cart.
The singer, whose followers have come to expect depth of emotional outpouring from his music, says, “My prayer is that God’s people get spiritually healed from the message in my music. Tackling social ills that plague communities, lets them know they’re not alone. Thanks to its reach, songs give people the strength to continue fighting with God on their side” he consoles.
Big Fish as he’s affectionately called, is barely recovered from a horrific car hijacking incident, yet he raised his hand for the Rebuilding the Walls Concert that took place last weekend. “I accompanied Pastor Gumbi to a gala dinner in Orange Farm. It was a fundraiser for the Assemblys of God in Katlehong which was razd to the ground. Pastor Gumbi spent many years there before moving to Standerton.
“I was touched so I informed God’s children that I didn’t have deep pockets but was offering my voice. They lived up to securing Carnival City’s Big Top Arena venue, so I brought gospel artists I usually work with to lend a hand to Rebuilding the Walls fundraiser.
Thanks to Dr Tumi, Thobekile, Dumi Mkokstad, Puleng Mesh, Taki Ndo and Sbu Noah. It was a huge success that gave the project a great head start,” he says proudly.
Reflecting on Rebuilding the Walls, he says, “It was important to respond to Pastor Gumbi’s plea for help as a child in the church. We may belong to different denominations, but we serve one God. That church accommodates 1 000 people and is used for worship, baptism, weddings, birthdays, graduation and funerals. By helping to rebuild it, the community also helped itself. It also rekindled the spirit of ubuntu and nation building.
“Personally, the concert distracted me from the trauma. The hijackers drove a blue light car when they stopped me but they weren’t police officers. Instead I was squashed at the back floor of the car, under a pile of newspapers in the sweltering heat. They helped themselves to my phone and bank cards. In the three hours we drove around, they cleaned out my bank accounts then dumped me in Katlehong. My eye was seriously injured. I still relive the ordeal and wake up in cold sweat. I thank God for my life and will never ask Him why me” explains a pained “Big Fish”.
The multi-award winning gospel singer relocated to his home province of the rising sun in 2014. “I searched through three districts of Mbombela for abundant talent teeming in my neck of the woods. We groomed them in the newly formed Mpumalanga Praise which recorded two albums in 2016 and 2019. To date five of our starlets have struck out on their own and are doing well” he says, beaming like a proud dad.
A prolific singer, he’s produced massive groups like Shongwe and Khuphuka, Elias Shongwe, France Dlamini, Hlengiwe Mhlaba, Ncandweni, Siphofaneni and Thobeka, among others.
“It’s only by the grace of God that I worked with so much talent. 2014 was bad because of the horrific car accident that left me in a coma for six days. In February this year, the hijacking I wouldn’t wish on my enemy, happened. God still wants me to do his work.”
After a journey that started in 1988 with late producers Vusi and Pat Shange, and Freddy Gwala before joining CCP Records, now Makhabane’s dropping his 37th offering.
“I’m really looking forward to both Thobeka and my album launching at the weekend” he concludes happily.
