The grand finale of the Old Mutual National Gospel Choir Festival (NGCF) concluded on Saturday in Windhoek with the top three choirs in the Mature and Youth categories rewarded with a combined N.dollars 200 000 in prize money.
In a statement availed to Nampa on Monday, Executive of Marketing, Transformation and Customer Strategy, Ndangi Katoma said the journey of Old Mutual’s NGCF created a musically-enriching environment providing contestants with the necessary skills and motivation to champion their exceptional best.
“This festival represents Old Mutual’s understanding that as Africans, we interact and relay our life stories by means of music and dance. Moreover, singing in groups as a social activity existed on the African continent, long before colonial establishment.”
This year’s event paid tribute to the late Nicodemus Dantago ||Hoabeb, a former executive of Old Mutual and the brain behind the NGCF, who died in April 2018.
He was a graduate economist, with a Master of Science in economics but someone who interestingly, excelled in studying music, with trumpet and choir conducting as majors, Katoma noted.
His remaining band members, the Ugly Creatures, celebrated the multi-talented musician’s life at the Grand Finale, as a support live-band.
The statement said 21 gospel choir finalists contended for their share of total prize money.
The first part of the competition allowed the 21 choirs to showcase their creativity and skill with a song of their choice, while the final part of the competition required the Mature Age and Youth choirs to do a prescribed song, authored by the late ||Hoabeb, respectively.
The choir judges, Erina Junius, Theodore Cooksen, Miriam Dikuua and William Mouers had their work cut out for them to select the final three winning choirs of each category against the expectations of a zealous audience.
The contestants in the Grand Finale denoted the new visual personality of the Old Mutual brand and the true spirit of the African continent with the vibrancy of their attire and song selections to a captive audience, said the statement.
A total of 37 choirs in various formats turned out at this year’s regional auditions that were hosted from 07 July to 09 August in Otjiwarongo, Oshakati, Swakopmund, Keetmanshoop and Windhoek.
In the Mature Choirs Category, Soli Deo Gloria won the competition and walked away with N.dollars 50 000, followed by Ephesians Gospel Choir in second receiving N.dollars 30 000.
In third place was Immanuel Mass Choir who received N.dollars 20 000.
The Youth category winners were Sion Youth Choir, Bet-el and |Ae-||gams Youth choirs.