Times Of Swaziland: The mighty O'JAYS to mesmerise Mzansi

The mighty O'JAYS to mesmerise Mzansi
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 WELILE W. DLAMINI on 22/08/2009 00:00:00


America’s oldest and surviving R&B music group, the mighty O’Jays is to
mesmerize their fans at an extravanganza show to be held at the Coca ColaDome in
Johannesburg in October 14th 2009.
The polished trio-Eddie Levert(lead singer), Walter Williams and Eric Grant were
last seen in South Africa in the 80s when they packed the Orlando Stadium with
fans screaming for more.
Prince Thumbumuzi, Princess Zenani Dlamini-Mandela and Welile Dlamini drove all
the way to Jozi to attend the show.
Disagreement
After that show, the group had a disagreement with their promoter and left for
the United States of America without appearing in other venues where they were
due to perfom.
Upon return to the US, the trio’s popularity declined tremendously and their
music was boycotted for having perfomed in South Africa at a time of the
Apartheid Regime.
Perfomed
Howver, Eddie Levert and his son Gerald perfomed at Carnival City in
Johannesburg in 2006, a show that was attended by yours truly, SIBS’ Phesheya
Dube and Sabelo Dlamini but unfortunately, a few days after that show, Gerald
passed on after a heart attack soon after his arrival in the US.
Some of Eddie’s most memorable works were his collaborations with the departed
son. In 1992, they recorded the number one RnB single ‘Baby hold on to me’
and later in 1995 recorded the album ‘Father and Son’ which topped the RnB
charts.
Beautiful
Gerald and Eddie allowed the old school generation and the Hip Hop generation to
have a meeting of the minds that ultimately produced a beautiful music for all
to enjoy.
The O’Jays have not been honoured much in the early years, but their
introduction in 2004 into the vocal group hall of fame paved in 2005 for another
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy in 2006.
After over five decades of ballades and dance, the old timers of Canton Ohio are
still an important feature ibn the landscape of music, their silky voices always
a reminder of times past and an assurance of the present.
The group havecontributed immensely to soul, pop and RnB since the 1950’s to
date. Songs that made them famous include ‘She used to be my girl’,
‘Forever Mine’, ‘You got your hooks in me’, ‘A Prayer’ and
‘Stairway to Heaven’ to name but a fews.