Soweto Gospel Choir

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Zach Ciaburri

When looking for examples of the harmony between music and social justice, look no further than the Soweto Gospel Choir, an award-winning ensemble that is traveling the globe with a message of love, unity and hope. The Grammy-winning ensemble has collaborated with U2, Peter Gabriel, Aretha Franklin, Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder. They sing in six of South Africa’s languages, and have a new album, Freedom, marking the centennial of Nelson Mandela’s birth.

press release: The first single from Freedom, “Umbombela” (which means “train song"), is a composition that speaks of the travails experienced by black South Africans during the apartheid era, when migrant workers were forced to travel long distances away from their families in order to meet the harsh economic and political demands made by the government. Watch the official music video for the song: