This man is known to ignite every stage he performs on and is sure to keep you on your feet with his crazy praise. Of course, this is none other than the talented Ayanda Shange. He grew up in a place called Folweni in Kwa-Zulu Natal which he says is where his love for music was birthed. As a young boy, he grew up loving soccer but along the way the music bug bit him and he has never looked back. He was involved in several music groups where he also composed his own music before he joined the well-known group Joyous Celebration. There is a lot that can be said about the events that have led him to the independent artist that he is today but for now we will say the rest is history.
His recent album “The Altar of Praise Volume 1 “, was inspired by his journey with God. Ayanda has seen the hand of God in his life from an early age. After losing both his parents at a tender age he says God became his mother and father and even in those difficult times he never felt he would not amount to anything. Looking back, he now knows that God is the one that had instilled that certainty and faith within him. “What people don’t know is that my second name is David. I read the book of Chronicles and got inspired by how king David used to praise God, he was a crazy Psalmist and so am I. It made sense to me and I ran with it”, he says. “Kuningi uThixo angenzele khona”, he adds, and his music attests the greatness of God and stands as a testimony which was built from all that God has carried him through from childhood.
Preparing for the album was not easy. He made seven shows in different provinces in order to accumulate funds for the DVD. This was exhausting and not all shows were a success, but he depended on God to make it happen and it did, exceedingly and abundantly so. A lot of prayer and fasting was also involved during preparation and he anchored himself with the support of his lovely wife and family. Every show contributed immensely, and his supporters sent an influx of love and support as they always do. What he enjoyed the most about working on the album were the rehearsals. He looked forward to the rehearsals everyday as a lot of fun was had. Him and his team rehearsed for a period of three months and a lot of passion and hard work was put into the album.
“The album is amazing”, he says. It consists of twenty-three powerful tracks and most of them are composed by him. The list of artists featured is astounding and includes Sipho Makhabane, Rophiwa Manyanga, Xolani Jwaga, Hlengiwe Mnguni from Zimbabwe and Malusi Mbokazi. People know him to be a crazy praiser but in this album you will get to experience his worship as well. In addition to the amazing artists that have made this project come to life are the backing vocalists who he says have poured their hearts into every song together with the band who have worked tirelessly with him to achieve the sound he wanted and prayed for.
In conclusion he says, “may God bless my supporters and I pray that this album ignites a praise in them like never before”. The Alter of Praise Volume 1 is available on all streaming platforms so what are you waiting for? Go get it and get your praise on!
