BARELY a year after we spoke to Thulani Ga Ndlela (pictured) about his first album, We Lift Him Higher, he has released another.
“The new project is called Welcome to the Altar and it is a CD and DVD combo,” he said.
“The CD is out, but the DVD will be available in the next two or three weeks.”
Like his first album, Welcome to the Altar is a collection of songs with a slow tempo that is intended to encourage prayer.
“It is more for people who love worshipping. I put in mellow songs that bring the prayer side of the Christian out.”
In the interview about his first album, Ga Ndlela said that he was a member of the police service.
“I am able to juggle the music and the job by making sure that I record and perform during weekends or after hours,” he said.
“If we have a performance out of town, I have to fly out because there isn’t enough time to drive.
“Essentially, I get time from Friday until Sunday to do the music – and the police work on other weekdays.”
Ga Ndlela is also a husband and a father of two, so he has many roles to juggle before he can get to the music. The lack of time puts him under pressure in trying to produce a good CD.
Despite this, he says: “The fans who have heard this album are happy with it.
“Most of them comment on the high quality of the sound, a thing that is encouraging because we worked hard on this project.”
Still on the question of development, Ga Ndlela says he is no longer working with his original recording stable: “I have managed to record this CD under my own company and I am happy with the results.”
The response to the project has been good, with vigorous sales from the time the album was released.
“We released Welcome to the Altar a few weeks ago and I have been getting reports that in many places the CD is sold out.
“That’s a satisfying achievement, given that I recorded this album from an independent company.”
The DVD is still in the works, so fans will have to be patient.
“We are looking for a date to release the visual side to this project,” Ga Ndlela said.
“The DVD is a live version of all the songs that I have ever done.
“Expect material from my first album and the rest from this new project.”
It could be in your best interests to have a copy of Welcome to the Altar handy in the car – just in case you need it to help you talk your way out of a situation with the police on the road.
Just a thought.