Trace Gospel announces final three music video competition finalists

The competition, which began with hundreds of entrants, has now been narrowed down to the final three. The three finalists are Shana Ray (Western Cape), Rajey (Gauteng) and Thuso Wa Sibini (Gauteng)

Voting is underway until 31 March and fans can vote for their favourite artists here.

The finalists opened up to Trace and spoke about some personal issues.

“I am a heavy girl and always struggle with low-esteem , even though to the outside world I seem very bubbly and people’s person,” Shana Ray said. “I found myself always wanting to sing in the background, because I was afraid of being seen and judged because of my size. I sang for groups and choirs from the age of 14 until 2018.

“I came home from work and was sitting in the living room feeling very frustrated with myself and kind of questioning God in terms of my purpose and why I’m feeling so empty even when I do so much.”

Rajey, who was born and raised in Kinshasa, DRC, and later moved to South Africa in 2014, said his song was inspired by his belief.

“I was going through a mild depression around June 2018 so much that I had stopped making music and even started questioning my faith,” he said. “My past mistakes were haunting me: things that I had done or not done. I felt as though I was sitting atop a heap of ruins. But amid all that, after a moment in prayer, I clearly heard His voice, telling me that he’d give me not a second chance but a fresh start for the love that He bore me. That is where I got the inspiration for my opening verse and song”.

Thuso Wa Sibini said: “I was raised Catholic and I still am, but I always had issues with how God was taught to us – as a God who created us in order to judge us harshly when we sinned or did not do as he pleased. I ended up fearing God, not in a good way but a bad way, as a person that is coming for us.”