To be an inspiration to many is something that most of us dreamed and are still dreaming of, but to be inspired by great people is another thing which can increase our chances of living our dreams and become inspirations to others.
When I hear the words ‘Greatness, Boldness, and love’ the first people that come into my mind are great female gospel artists. These women of faith have always inspired me all my life and continue to give me that passion to strive hard and become just like them someday.
Among them is one of the most established female South African Gospel artist Dr Batsogile Lovederia Malope also known as Rebecca Malope who recently retired from the stage after 32 years of releasing praise and worship songs to her audience.
Born in 1968 in Lekazi near Nelspruit in Mpumalanga province South Africa, Rebecca Malope was brought up in a less privileged family. She has been through the test of times and had a lot of tough experiences, from being told that she would be confined in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, to being told that she would never get pregnant. However, she stayed committed to God through her music, overcame and conquered through his grace.
Her history itself is one of the reasons why many people (including me) are inspired by her today.
Although her retiring can become a sad thing for many, it is good in that the South African gospel music queen is indeed a living testimony and will continue to inspire young up-and-coming artists by becoming their reason to succeed in the cutthroat music industry.
Some of the songs that made a big breakthrough for her include; ‘Uyingcwele’ and ‘Uthando lwami’.
The gospel guru won many awards which are proof to the significance of her growth in the gospel industry. Among them is the OKTV award she won in 1990 as the best South African female artist.
Despite having lived a twisted life, Rebecca is happily married to the love of her life Themba Tshabalala and has proven that being faithful to God causes situations to turn.
