SAMA nominee Brenden Praise talks life after 'Idols SA' to becoming a prominent voice in house music

Brenden Praise's Mhlalamhlala album has scored him a nomination at this year's South African Music Awards (SAMA) in the Best Contemporary Faith Album.

This marks the singer's second SAMA nomination after platinum selling record Joy Joy with Black Motion in 2018. 

“It’s tough to predict what resonates and what doesn’t, but we knew we were doing something that has never been done when recording Mhlalamhlala,” he told TshisaLIVE. 

His soulful and gospel-inspired music has many convinced Brenden has mastered the art of ministry in a commercial space. 

“The album is essential, the Tsonga Hymn Book reimagined in 2023 and so it spread the gospel in its purest form. People are multifaceted and if you’re a spiritual human being it doesn’t matter which space you’re in, it will eventually be evident. So I think over the years my music has become more what I believe in.”

As a singer, songwriter and producer who rose to fame as a finalist in a season of Idols South Africa, Brenden has come a long way. 

“I'd describe my music journey since Idols as challenging. It’s never easy to find yourself when a lot of people are telling you who you are, so it sometimes requires stillness in the form of failure to be able to hear your own voice.”

The evolution of his sound is evident from his first album Feel So Good to now as a prominent voice in house music, having collaborated with artists including Black Motion, Prince Kaybee, Mhaw Keys and Mörda.

“Being open to collaborations is a great way to grow as a musician. I’ve tried to keep the soul but expand the way I package my sound. I’ve always been a househead so I felt I could impact the genre in a good way,

“Mörda is the first person who saw potential in my impact in house music and we’ve been friends since.”

Brenden is proud to have maintained relevance in the music industry for a decade.  

He has got a lot in the pipeline to give to his fans. 

On Friday, the singer released a surprise track God you keep on blessing me, a song about the immeasurable grace of God, which he says emphasises the minimal requirements to qualify for his love.

“I’ve been doing a lot of production [in the] past two years and have enjoyed it, as well as creating Free 2 Wrshp to be a space where people can freely express their worship. So I’ll be focused on that, but also a Mhalamhala 2 project might not be a bad idea, maybe I might expand to more languages.”