Joey Mabusela, whose stage name is Joey De Tenor, is a self-taught opera singer who was born in Mokopane, Limpopo but later moved to Alexandra.
He identifies as a goal-driven performing artist that strives to touch souls through his music.
Mabusela has been passionate about music from a young age, which led him to join a choir at age nine. From there, he always pushed to better himself. This allowed his voice to be heard on bigger stages. Little did he know that his passion would bear the fruits of diverse opportunities, and he is now part of the Kasi Opera Choir.
“My journey with Kasi Opera began when I joined a choir based in Alex called Alexandra Harmonious Melodies under the baton of Charles Indwyn Shikwambana. It taught me a lot about the disciplines of this art form and since then I decided to begin my solo journey and fuse it with street culture,” Mabusela said.
According to Mabusela, nothing heals his soul like being on stage. He was also part of the recent choir ensemble representing Alexandra on the bigger stages working under The Gold Rhino of Mapungubwe Ballet production at the State Theatre.
“Music has changed the way I see life and given me purpose and made me show those around me to never give up on your dreams and that hard work pays.
“My journey in music is a very intriguing experience because I learned a lot about the industry at large. It taught me to carry myself out as a brand more than just a performer, also using my voice as a gift from God to make the world a better place, hence, I started a foundation called Joey De Tenor Foundation which helps me focus on giving back to the community.”
Mabusela said he drew inspiration from artists such as the late Luciano Pavarotti, Dr Tumi, and the late Mariam Makeba. He plans to own an art institute one day and share his gift with the world. He shared some words of advice to the youngsters.
“My advice to the youth is that nothing is impossible, if you have a dream follow it through, pay no mind to the critics and believe in your abilities and everything that you do, then the world will be your oyster.”
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