With Idols SA about to start again, it makes sense that last year’s winner, Vincent Bones, has just released his debut album. The 30-year-old, who is a worship leader from Pietermaritzburg, has named his album Shaded Soul.
“The title of the album is significant as shading is a technique used in art to represent light and shade by varying the colour and intensity of the medium being used. In this case, every piece of music has been shaded with soul,” said Randall Abrahams, the managing director of Universal Music South Africa.
“Vincent is one of the most talented artists in the country today and it was a great pleasure working with him. We are excited about releasing his album and know he will get a fantastic response from his dedicated fan base,” he added.
To date, Bones had the most charming “against all odds” story on Idols SA. When he was younger, Bones had to live off the streets of Pretoria. So, when he won Idols SA, his story had the perfect fairytale ending. He won the hearts of many South Africans, who responded with a record number of votes.
Fans of Bones will be happy to know that the first single off Shaded Soul is Let Me Love You, the track which was written for him last year during the show. Then there is My Lady, which allows Bones to express his vocal range. The album contains various genres that expose his creativity and ability to sing just about anything.
“The album was inspired by my family who are my pillar of strength, and it’s dedicated to my late mother, Dorah Bones. I wish she was here to see my dreams come true,” said the singer.
With the Idols SA clout still fresh on his shoulders, Bones impressed a number of top musicians who agreed to work with him.
“It was a great honour to work with some of the best artists, producers and songwriters in the music business such as Ziyon, Kwesta, Reason, RJ Benjamin, Zubz, Jaziel Brothers, Thaso, Buks, and Ganja Beatz. I also collaborated with fellow newcomers Tresor and Zw(A)rt. This is my debut album, but it is going to lay the foundation for many more to come; it marks the beginning of many great things in the future and I firmly believe it will succeed,” said the singer.
• Shaded Soul is on iTunes and in music stores.
THE INSPIRATION
Three former Idols winners who are making a career from their music:
Musa Sukwene (2013)
After winning the tightly contested 2013 leg, Sukwene went on to release an album called The Dream which received positive reviews and some award nominations.
Khaya Mthethwa (2012)
Mthethwa changed history by becoming the first black contestant to win the show. After the close call that almost saw Lloyd Cele win two years prior, Mthethwa ran his race from the first audition and was an obvious favourite. The singer now has two albums out and a TV show under his belt.
Jan Hoogendyk (2010)
Who? Yes, Jan Hoogendyk is the charismatic guy we know as Elvis Blue. His were some of the best performances in the history of the show. Perhaps his advantage was that he is a prolific songwriter and it helped him interpret the songs every week in the competition. Today the singer has travelled the globe promoting his music.