Many people don’t know of him, but they do know his music. He has written more songs than he cares to remember. Yet when you speak to Nqubeko Mbatha there is no hint of arrogance when he talks of his accomplishments.

As the musical director, producer and principal songwriter for Joyous Celebration since 2001, Mbatha’s announcement that he has released a solo album is long overdue.

“Forever I’ll Worship is a mixed bag of songs,” said Mbatha. “It includes songs I have done with Joyous, but have rearranged, known traditional songs and new ones because I believe fans deserve new material,” said the man Joyous Celebration has to thank for all the classics he has written over the years.

To illustrate how talented he is I will share with you something I witnessed. A few years back, in Cape Town, I met Mbatha at the I Want to Sing Gospel auditions. The future runner-up on the show, Charisma Hanekom, walked in and started to sing ’Tis So Sweet in her R&B style. Mbatha fiddled with his keyboard for a few seconds and in no time Hanekom was performing the song backed by flawless piano playing. It then hit me that Mbatha did this with all the contestants across the country. You can imagine the hours you have to spend playing and listening to music to wind up with a mental musical database such as his.

“Since birth, all I knew was gospel music. I come from that Assemblies of God and traditional hymns back-ground. I was exposed to it so much it became second nature,” he said.

This is probably one of the reasons he is such an asset to Joyous Celebration, as few musicians in the industry can match his skills.

On his debut solo album, Mbatha worked with his wife, fellow Joyous Celebration musician Ntokozo Mbambo. It is a classic Sonny and Cher relationship in which they support each other creatively and otherwise in their respective projects.

“She helped me with writing some songs on the album. It was a great experience,” he said.

“When I am running out of ideas she usually helps out with brilliant ideas for me to complete a song. When she is facing the same problem she knows she can count on me.”

I asked if there were videos of any songs off the album.

“I shot a DVD last year and many of the songs here and other newer ones were featured on it. Dear Lord, a song off my album, has its video,” he said.

So will you get to see him perform this new material soon?

“My wife and I have decided to take a background stance in Joyous Celebration to try to dedicate our time to our respective albums. She is shooting her DVD soon and I am trying to push this album.

“Let this not be mistaken to say we are leaving Joyous Celebration, we’re still very much a part of it,” he said.

• Forever I’ll Worship is now at all local music stores.

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