By Afraa Kori
Gospel artist Iren Nondo shone a spotlight on the often-overlooked genre with her first debut headline at Werribee Baptist Church, bringing together 150 attendees from diverse cultures, states, and demographics.
The concert, held on July 20, featured special performances by African American Pastor Joshua Long from Melbourne and gospel artist Rachel from Adelaide.
“I was drawn to the ministers of God that are very dedicated and they are true to what they’re doing. I just wanted to do something with them, because they inspire me in the ministry,” Nondo said.
Growing up in a Christian household contributed to her music career and boosted her confidence to come out of her shell.
“My family sings gospel and I’m surrounded with people that inspire me in terms of spirituality,” she said.
“I have been ministering and singing in church, but I wanted to do something outside of that, which still involves the community and invite them to worship God. A concert is something I wanted to do a long time ago and it was burning inside of me.”
Nondo’s music director from Adelaide, Jeff Seraphin, said the concert had a profound impact on the community, including the music industry.
“I know that Iren’s fan base is mostly Congolese people and her local church, so in terms of the community, this event will highlight the power of music and how that can unite and uplift people. As the music director, her example encourages me to strive for music that resonates deeply with our audience. We do this by making sure the production is excellent and achieves a high level of musicianship.
“Even though it’s a very unpopular genre, I believe the concert will shine light on the gospel music industry in Australia. There’s always this taboo thing when it comes to gospel music in Australia, but I strive to break through the cracks and essentially establish a set point that gospel music is alive. If we can do what the secular musicians are doing in terms of preparation and organization and still be able to spread a message of hope, it’s going to make a dent in the music industry.”
