Musician doctor to spread love gospel
[caption id="attachment_214506" align="aligncenter" width="169"] Dr Tumi Picture: supplied[/caption]
South African medical practitioner turned multi-award-winning gospel sensation “Dr Tumi” is set to wow his fans in a night of worship at the Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton on Tuesday night.
Tumisang Makweya – popularly known as “Dr Tumi” – shook the gospel music industry when he released his live-recorded album Love and Grace in May last year.
The musician, who has had fans all over the country singing along to his album for over a year now, is a qualified medical practitioner with his own private practice in Pretoria.
“Though I have not always known that I would become a gospel musician per se, I have always known that I would find ways of worshipping through music,” he said.
Love and Grace is his second album after Heart of a King, which won best RnB Gospel Award at the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards in 2012.
However, Makweya said he had not put in as much effort as he did into Love and Grace, which meant the former album had become more popular.
While a doctor’s job is to heal physically, Makweya said his mission was to also heal spiritually through his music. Despite having scooped at least nine awards since the release of Love and Grace, what was most important to him was that his music “speaks to people”.
“I don’t [make music] for awards. “What matters to me is that an album is well done, it speaks to people. The actual prize is to have somebody send through a testimony saying my music changed their life.”
As rare as it is to find someone juggling two careers, the Seshego- born singer and songwriter does so effortlessly, although his music career now takes up most of his time.
“I am happy and at peace with my music career dominating my life,” the Medunsa [now University of Limpopo] alumnus said.
Makweya said the popularity of his album has seen him travel to perform in places he has never been to. The performance will be his first in Port Elizabeth and the second in the Eastern Cape after performing in East London last year.
“I’m looking forward to performing it in PE for the first time. It’s always exciting to go and connect with people in different areas of the country and I think PE is going to be lovely,” he said.
He promised to deliver the best of himself for his Port Elizabeth fans.
Even though Love and Grace remains popular on the lips of his fans, Makweya is already working on a new album. He is set to do a live DVD recording at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg on August 20.
“Dr Tumi” will share the stage with Port Elizabeth’s Nhose, Soso Maholwana, Mbathane and various local artists.
Doors to the show open at 6pm and tickets can be purchased at R200 from Computicket. For more information contact 083-403-7334.
