Who can forget the lilting voices of South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir as they sang and danced their way to a Golden Ticket in America’s Got Talent?
They may have been pipped at the post by the incredible Cody in that season of AGT but that’s not the end of their story. Since then they’ve been fully booked with singing engagements all over the world.
A Remarkable Tale
The fact that this band of young performers from an African country made it to the finale of Season 14, described by Simon Cowell as the best he’s ever seen, isn’t the most amazing thing about this achievement. Their very existence is a miracle in itself.
These young people all come from severely impoverished backgrounds. None of them are strangers to hunger and deprivation, and many of them had no hope before they found their voices.
The Man Behind the Music
The choir is directed by Ralf Schmitt, who is also choir master to a private girl’s school in Johannesburg and an Afrikaans school in Rustenburg, who has his hands full juggling his portfolio of talent from vastly different backgrounds.
The secret to Ralf’s success is that he recognises that South African youth have a unique spirit and bucketloads of talent, regardless of their background. He sees music as a way to lift yourself out of any situation, regardless of whether your worries centre on hunger or qualifying for an Ivy League education.
He started the choir as an outlet for youngsters from impoverished rural backgrounds. While his initial motivation was to educate these youngsters about music, he soon realised that his music program meant far more than that.
His young charges soon learnt that hard work and dedication bring reward, and that hope can thrive despite your circumstances.
United in Song
Many of the choir members have grown up far from the bright lights of Hollywood, living in shacks without electricity and running water. Many of them are orphans. Some of them have been part of this local singing group for 10 years, using it as a way to escape from the harsh realities of their life.
Ralf has done much to expose the talents of his young charges with consistent marketing on social media, and it was their 2018 version of Ed Sheeran's Shape of You on YouTube that first attracted attention.
It was this cover, viewed over four million times on the popular music channel, that got their foot in the door with AGT.
Typically, the public has rallied behind the choir as a symbol of hope and yet another example of the Big Match Temperament that South African’s pride themselves on.
If you’d like a taste of the unique talent that flourishes at the tip of Africa, get in touch to start planning an unforgettable southern African safari.
