Examples Of South African Clap & Tap Gospel Music: Six Videos Of Vusi & The Mighty Singers

D. CHOIR, Feb 17, 2021  #Clapandtap 

#D CHOIR Vusi and The Mighty Singers captured live during the Mighty Night Event featured alongside Isaac and The Mighty Messengers and Mighty Oh Lord Singers

100% Clap and Tap

100% Indigenous Gospel Music

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest update- July 21, 2024

This pancocojams post presents information about "Clap & Tap" singing, a form of South Africa's Gospel music. 

This post also includes information about and six* YouTube videos of Vusi & The Mighty Singers performances of "Clap & Tap" music.

*After this pancocojams post was published I added a sixth video that was filmed in 2023.

The content of this post is presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Vusi & The Mighty Singers for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those that are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT CLAP & TAP MUSIC
Excerpt #1
From https://www.chosic.com/genre-chart/clap-and-tap/
"Clap and tap is a unique music genre that originated in South Africa and is characterized by a combination of hand clapping and foot stomping rhythms, often accompanied by traditional African instruments. This genre is typically associated with religious music and is commonly performed in churches. The music is upbeat and energetic, with lyrics that often center around themes of faith, hope, and redemption. The genre has gained popularity in recent years, with several notable artists and groups emerging from the South African music scene."

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Excerpt #2

From https://brakpanherald.co.za/97689/come-and-clap-and-tap-along/ "Come and clap and tap along" [no author cited; June 27, 2015]
"Come and clap and tap and sing along at the Mmino Wa Clap 'n Tap (MWCNT) Awards 2015, which will be hosted at Emperors Palace today (June 27).

[...]

These will be the first national “clap ‘n tap” gospel music awards in the industry’s existence, meant to acknowledge the art and vocal ability found in traditional African gospel music.

Clap-and-Tap music has similarities to both traditional gospel music and choral music, but does not rely on instruments.

It, instead relies on the melody of the vocals and the sound of clapping hands in a way that creates a fine tune and tempo."...
-snip-
The words "does not rely on instruments" doesn't mean that "Clap & Tap" music is never accompanied by musical instruments. That music may be accompanied by traditional African instruments and/or by snare drums and brass band instruments.

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INFORMATION ABOUT VUSO & THE MIGHTY SINGERS
From https://www.facebook.com/groups/656309007720327/
"About

Vusi & The Mighty Singers Gospel Choir is a clap and tap group from Soweto (Tshiawelo) that was formed and found by Mr V Radebe.

The aim of this group is to heal the inner lost souls of people who want to be healed through the word of GOD and singing"

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ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE YOUTUBE VIDEOS

SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Vusi & The Mighty Singers - Fateng Sa Golgotha (Mighty Night)

   

D CHOIR, Feb 16, 2021  #Clapandtap #VTMS #DCHOIR

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Vusi & The Mighy Singers - My God Is Goodo
D.CHOIR  Feb 17, 2021  



D.CHOIR  Feb 17, 2021 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 -Vusi & The Mighty Singers - Dumelang Halelujah



D. CHOIR, Feb. 17, 2021

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5- FBA Brass Band ft Vusi & The Mighty Singers - Lefelleng mo ke tsamayang. |TSUNAMI CONCERT DVD.

Katlego Molokwane, Jul 23, 2021  #brassband #clapandtap #classicconcert

TSUNAMI

The Timeline Concert 2014

"Lefelleng, moo ke tsamayang,

Ho lahleha ba bangata;

Empa nna ya ntsamaisang

Ke Jesu, ke mong’a tsela"
-snip-
#clapandtap #brassband #classicconcert
-snip-
Google translate from Sesotho to English:
"In the field, where I walk,

Many are lost;

But I am the one who leads me

I am Jesus, I am the master of the way"

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 - Vusi & The Mighty Singers - Bodibeng

Kevin Feron, June 19, 2023
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/information-about-south-africas-urcsa.html for a pancocojams post entitled "Information About South Africa's URCSA Denomination & Information About uMpampampas (Hand Drums) Part III of a four part pancocojams series about the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA). 

That post includes this quote about the hand held musical instrument that is shown at 1:37 in this video & at other times throughout this video:

 From https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/44f5/464c1570df0258d80affad087a77371f5782.pdf 
"Echoes of orality in Christian Xhosa songs" by M.M. Somniso

"Umpampampa: An umpampampa is a Bible-sized cushion covered with leather. It is held in one hand and beaten with the other. This is done to produce more sound and to regulate the rhythm.
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note (quoted from the pancocojams post whose link is given above):
-snip-
I've noticed in several discussion threads of South African music videos (where men and/or women are playing this hand drum) that some people (my guess is that they are not from South Africa) think that this hand held drum is either a pillow or the church members' Bible (inside the pillow or without the covering for the Bible although the actual Bible isn't in there". In the discussion threads I've happened upon, when people refer to these instruments that way, South Africans are quick to correct them and share other terms they use for uMpampampas such as iBeat. An example of such a discussion is found after Video Example #1 in Part IV of this pancocojams series.
-snip-

"I beat" is another name for this musical instrument that I've come across in discussion threads of YouTube  videos of South African Gospel music. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/05/joyous-celebration-i-beat-south-african.html for a pancocojams post that focuses on these hand held drum cushions being played by many members of the audience during South Africa's Joyous Celebration (Gospel choir) concerts.

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Information About South Africa's URCSA Denomination & Information About uMpampampas (Hand Drums)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series that showcases brief excerpts about certain forms of Black church music in Southern Africa and showcases a few YouTube video examples of South Africa's amakhorasi music.

Part III provides information about Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) and information about the uMpampampas hand drum.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/black-church-music-in-zambia-excerpt.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents a brief excerpt of a 2015 doctoral thesis for the University of the Western Cape written by Kapenwa Kondolo. The thesis is entitled "The Ministry of Music: A Case Study On The United Church of Zambia And The New Jerusalem Church".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/information-about-south-africas.html for Part II of this series. Part II is divided into two sections. Section A presents a summary of a 2016 social science book by Austin C. Okigbo entitled Music, Culture, and the Politics of Health: Ethnography of a South African AIDS Choir Section A also presents a brief excerpt from that book which provides information about certain forms of Black South African church music.

Section B presents a brief excerpt from a 2005 doctoral thesis that includes information about certain forms of music in South African churches.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/videos-examples-of-south-africas-urcsa.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV showcases videos of URCSA services. Special focus in these videos is on some members of that denomination playing uMpampampas (hand drums) and other indigenous musical instruments as an integral part of their church services.

The content of this post is presented for ethnomusicology, cultural, and religious purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/five-videos-of-vusi-mighty-singers.html for a 2023 pancocojams post about South Africa's "Clap & Tap" Gospel music. That post includes a video that shows men playing an i beat (uMpampampas) while they sing in a Clap & Tap choir. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT URCSA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniting_Reformed_Church_in_Southern_Africa
"The Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (Afrikaans: Verenigende Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afrika) was formed by the union of the black and coloured Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk mission churches.

Main markers in the URCSA'S history
In 1652 the Dutch formed a halfway station at the Cape, which was approximately halfway between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies, and introduced slavery by whites.

Various foreign mission organisations started working in South Africa, which led to the formation of a number of denominations amongst those people who otherwise would have been excluded from the main churches, largely over issues of race.

This process motivated the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) in South Africa to start its own independent mission work.

In 1857 the NGK synod decided to have separate services for coloured (mixed race) members.

A separate church, the Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) was formed in 1881.

For blacks, the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa (DRCA) was formed in 1951.

In 1974 the synod of the DRCA decided in favour of church unity. In 1978 the DRMC decided likewise.

In 1986 the Belhar Confession – with its strong emphasis on unity, reconciliation and justice – was formulated and adopted by the DRMC.

In 1994 the DRMC and the DRCA united to form the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA).

[...]

Statistics
The Uniting Reformed Church consists of approximately 1,230,000 members of them about 500,000 confessing members (excluding all those who are only baptised) and 683 congregations. Its name (which is in the continuous tense) and its logo (which is an incomplete circle) reflects the Church's emphasis on unity, and its hope for an even greater church unification within the family of God.[2]"....

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INFORMATION ABOUT UMpampampas (hand drums)
Excerpt #1:
From https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/29287/thesis_law_2018_perkins_grainne.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
"Danger and Death
Organisational and Occupational Responses to the
Murder of Police in South Africa – a Case Study.

Gráinne Perkins
[...]

A thesis submitted in the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law University of Cape Town in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

[...]

Glossary

[...] “uMpampampa Handmade drum, onomatopoeia word owing to the sound it makes when
struck, i.e. mpa-mpa-mpa”
-snip-
[more from google search entry]
“…. handle allowed it to be held in one hand and beaten by the other free hand.. In the isiXhosa language the pillow is called the 'uMpampampa'.

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Excerpt #2
From https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/44f5/464c1570df0258d80affad087a77371f5782.pdf
"Echoes of orality in Christian Xhosa songs
M.M. Somniso
School of Language, Media and Communication
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
PORT ELIZABETH

Umpampampa: An umpampampa is a Bible-sized cushion covered with leather. It is held in one hand and beaten with the other. This is done to produce more sound and to regulate the rhythm.

Drums: There are many kinds of drums. The type of drum depends on the people themselves. Ugandan drums, Tanzanian hand drums, and Atumpan drums can for instance be used. Among the amaXhosa a similar drum is called igubu. The drum is open on both sides and these sides are covered by animal skin. Two sticks are
used to beat the drum on the sides. Among amaXhosa this drum is mostly used by Zionist and diviners. Boys use it as well."
-snip-
I've noticed in several discussion threads of South African music videos (where men and/or women are playing this hand drum) that some people (my guess is that they are not from South Africa) think that this hand held drum is either a pillow or the church members' Bible (inside the pillow or without the covering for the Bible although the actual Bible isn't in there". In the discussion threads I've happened upon, when people refer to these instruments that way, South Africans are quick to correct them and share other terms they use for uMpampampas such as iBeat. An example of such a discussion is found after Video Example #1 in Part IV of this pancocojams series.]

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This concludes Part III of this four part pancocojams series.

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Visitor comments are welcome.