A dream sang to reality

They wowed the judges and became fan favourites on the prestigious show, ‘America’s Got Talent’ with their exceptional vocal cords. Resulting in the Ndlovu Youth Choir being the first ever South African choir in the history of the show to get through to the semi-final.

- Evans Manyonga

Founded as an after school fun activity in 2009, 10 years later it has been signed by the remarkable Record Producer, Media Personality and Businessman who is famous for his harsh, direct and critical comments on the show, America’s Got Talent (AGT), Simon Cowell.

Leadership Magazine sat with Ndlovu Youth Choir Composer and Director, Ralf Schmitt. Who is a renowned African Choral Music specialist, with an immense passion for preserving traditional South African music. He has succeeded in using art to create employment in a remote rural village in the Limpopo Province. The choir serves as a reminder to all that excellence is not limited to background, through hard-work and determination anything is possible.

Schmitt gave detailed insights on their defining moments such as getting through to the semi-finale, as well as some of the challenges they faced such as getting documentation for choir members to travel abroad. The choir first broke onto the International scene when they performed a cover of the Ed Sheeran Track ‘Shape of you” which landed a million hits, this got them noticed and an opportunity to audition for AGT. The choir didn’t look at their journey on the show as a competition but rather an opportunity to perform, proof that intention separates winners from losers. When you do something for the love of it, you do it with love and the positive energy it exudes can’t help but be felt everywhere.

Whose idea was it to form the choir?