Gospel album 'should inspire people'

Durban gospel singer Shaun Pillay wants the title track of his latest album to inspire people to reclaim their own identity.

Every Day of My Life, Pillay's second album, is a contemporary worship album which was released to Christian stores around the country last month.

Pillay, 33, who is signed to Christian record label Integrity Media Africa, is already enjoying success, with church congregations in Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth singing some songs of his new album.

His first album, Jesus is Reachable, was released three years ago and was co-produced by local artist Ernie Smith.

Pillay said his new album reflected his personal taste.

"The first one is more R'nB as opposed to this one, which is really more me. This is where we are strong and we want to be relevant to the worship industry and the church."

Pillay, who wrote and composed the majority of the songs, said his favourite song was the title track, Every Day of My Life.

"It brings you back to your originality, your identity in God. The song has been written around that focus.

"People sometimes want to live somebody else's dream or try to be someone else. Sometimes you lose your own authenticity and what God has destined you for and the song brings you back to your originality."

Pillay started playing the piano when he was 11 and later honed his singing skills at his place of worship, the Faith Revival Church in Phoenix.

He realised that he wanted to go full-time into music when he was a teenager, so he enrolled at Unisa to study classical piano.

He later joined the gospel group Not Just to People. A recording he did with them earned them a South African Musical Award nomination for best Urban Gospel in 2006.