THE LONDON AFRICAN GOSPEL CHOIR

The Choir has featured South African singers and dancers since its inception, and already had songs from there in its repertoire before the Jazz Café came calling. They refer to the Graceland project as "a Godsend." It was an opportunity for their collective talents to shine and they spent weeks learning the songs, perfecting the dance moves and putting a sparkle into their performances that's moved many onlookers to tears. "People have wept for joy after seeing it," says Crystal. "They come out of the shows with Graceland in their ears, their hearts and their dreams." In 2002, she founded the London African Gospel Choir with the intention of spreading the gospel, and creating a platform of excellence for singers and musicians. Early rehearsals took place at St. Catherine's Church in New Cross as they assembled a repertoire of mainly Ugandan, South African and AfricanAmerican music, and with Crystal singing and dancing, as well as managing the group's affairs. Sixteen years later and she's head of a family that sings, plays and prays together, whose motto is "Lighting up the world with a song." They're joybringers, and their numbers vary since the Choir has up to twenty members who perform in a variety of aggregations, from small vocal groups to a large-scale ensemble. At its core is a ten-piece band featuring two keyboard players, two guitarists, bass, drums, percussion and three horn players. Crystal's daughter Yeelen is among the dozen or so singers and they're all expected to learn the lead parts of every song, which means familiarising themselves with several different African languages. Some of the singers and musicians are well known in Africa, or have appeared in West End shows like The Lion King. The group has stars in its midst but it's a sense of belonging and togetherness that binds them, driven by faith and respect for their fellow members. 2019 was a very exciting year for the London African Gospel Choir; they embarked on their first US tour, with shows in Boston, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, toured Ireland and the UK and closed the Monte Carlo Jazz Festival.