Gospel digest - July 13, 2011

Published Jul 13, 2011

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CELEBRATING 15 successful years in the gospel music industry is a huge milestone Veliswa Skeyi should be proud of.

The songstress, who has come a long way since being a member of the Lord Comforters choir, has carved out a successful solo career for herself.

Skeyi’s latest album, UThixo Unako/God Is Able, sums up how she has made it this far. She takes up the story:

“It’s my 15th year in the gospel industry, with seven solo projects. When I look back, I remember all those times I was struggling to make it and I look at myself now. I know I didn’t make it here all on my own. That is why I named the album UThixo Unako, because God is able and he carried me through everything,” explains Skeyi.

Her journey in the industry has always been paved with good fortune. Skeyi was the victim of a deranged stalker, but luckily she escaped that situation unharmed. She shares this experience:

“It was very scary because I thought it was a child who loved my music; meanwhile it was the mother of the child making the calls. In the beginning, the person would call and tell me how much they love my music and are my greatest fan.

“Then, as time went on, they started threatening to kill me and said they knew where I stayed. The police intervened and went to the woman’s home and talked to her.

“Apparently, this woman wanted my husband, or something like that. I still get calls where there is just shallow breathing and no response.”

While there might be a lot of ugliness in the world, Skeyi prefers to focus on good deeds. Apart from blessing people with her magical voice, she is also the founder and ambassador of the Feed A Child campaign based in the Eastern Cape.

Through money raised from her shows she raises funds for children’s homes.

“I have seen a lot of children abandoned, thrown in dustbins and long-drop toilets by their mothers who don’t want them.

“I decided to do something about it by giving orphans love, meals and a chance to live.

“This is something I am doing for my children as well. If I die today, or in 20 years’ time, I know my children will be taken care of. I am securing blessings for them; as I help other people, they will also need others to help them along in life.

“I am also teaching them social responsibility by helping other people and not only them. Those are the values we as people need to adopt,” says Skeyi.

In all the years she has been part of the gospel industry, Skeyi has taken on the role of feeding the needy, being a wife and a mother, a motivational speaker and being part of the ministry. She might not be superwoman, but she does the best with what she has and that is inspirational.

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