With a smooth voice like his, Lloyd Cele does some healing of his own, writes Munya Vomo
One of Idols SA’s success stories, Lloyd Cele (pictured), is dropping his Usher moves for a much more classic look as he portrays Marvin Gaye in the international stage production Let’s Get It On – The Life And Music of Marvin Gaye. He might not look like the singer, but Cele convincingly belts out the hits.
“I have memories of my grandfather playing Marvin Gaye when I was a little boy. I remember there were times when I would ask him to turn it off because I would have had enough. He is late now and I feel that if he was here to see me do this show he would be the person who would be the proudest of me. I am actually dedicating this show to him. He prepared me for this,” said the ecstatic singer.
Cele says he has gained a better appreciation for Gaye’s music over the years.
“Marvin’s music started making sense to me when I was a little older. It is quite sexy, you know. I love songs like Sexual Healing, Let’s Get It On and I Heard It Through The Grapevine because they are classics. We hear them everywhere including adverts and movies,” he said.
While other artists actively search for gigs like this, Cele was busy with another project when he was approached to step into the role of this illustrious performer.
“I was doing a show at Montecasino and someone from the theatre industry heard me and told me they loved my tone. They asked me to audition and I got the spot. I was really excited,” he recalled.
Given that he is performing at a time when Idols SA is putting its hopefuls through the brutal Theatre Week, Cele recalled when he was on the show.
“Looking back, it’s quite emotional for me because it has been a long road. I am incredibly grateful to my fans, my family and God for the support. You think about that because you never make it on your own on this journey. We all need each other. We are who we are because of people who help us, especially those behind the scenes. It’s exciting to see that I have made it this far. To see yourself on a billboard is quite a big thing and when it first happened to me I could not believe it,” he said.
He feels that although the show gave him a springboard into the music industry, there was still work to be done once Idols had wrapped.
“People allow being on Idols SA to go to their heads. For me, I have learnt that the higher you go, the lower you have to stoop yourself. Don’t let your ego and head get big. I have seen a lot of people fall behind because of pride and I think that’s the one place that many people should start on a personal level,” he said.
“From a musical point of view, my advice is that it is a lot of work, yet there is a perception that it will be easy. I get why this is so because you get used to people doing things for you all the time on the show. From the food to the PR and even in the studio, everything is done for you on Idols SA. Coming from that background you assume that the industry is also like that, which is not the case. With the industry, you really have to go in there and work for yourself.
“My advice is don’t wait for someone to playlist you, go out there and make things happen while the iron is hot. Also, find someone who believes in you so that they can manage you. There are many people who do it for the money. I am blessed to have an amazing company take care of me,” he added.
Cele gets his Motown mojo onThe Let’s Get It On – The Life And Music Of Marvin Gaye production takes place at The Joburg Theatre (Mandela Stage) until Saturday.