Throughout many major cities it is common to find a gay men's chorus. As a way to come together and share experiences, it is a bonding and healing experience for many gay men. The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, founded in 1978, is credited as the first openly gay chorus, and from there it has spread around the world.
Mzansi Gay Choir, South Africa's first gay men's chorus, is making waves in the country and hte music industry. The choir was established in 2016 and has more than twenty members. It seeks to showcase the vocal skills of the gay community.
The choir seeks to promote a message of self-acceptance. The choir welcomes all gay men, showcasing their masculinity and femininity. The choir is known for often performing in heels.
Many of the members are also LGBT activists, seeking to change the world around them as well.
The choir is gaining steam in the country and captivating audiences. They are performing at more and more events in the country. They also have two singles out Let Me Be and I’m On My Way, which are available on iTunes and Google Play.
While the choir has a soulful sound and sings their own music, they also sing popular hits from stars like Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson.
Speaking of the choir, Mathews Motsoeneng, one of the founding members, said, “I always like to put my word out there. And the only way I know how is to sing. And we are better together as a team than when fighting alone. Why not team up with people who want to do it and take the message out there?”
Dominik Roman, a choir member, says of their music, "The songs that we write, they are inspirational. We are individuals and we all have our struggles and we want to touch people out there. We are spreading one message – and that’s self acceptance. There’s a kid sitting out there, a 16-year-old trying to understand his life – and we are there as an outlet for him. It could also be a 53-year-old man sitting in the closet. If I was eight and I had something like this to look up to, it could have dealt with a lot of frustrations of mine.”
The Mzansi Gay Choir is making waves and we hope they continue to spread their wonderful sound.