A decade of Sentinental Sense

Many a great success story sprouts from humble beginnings; where a combination of talent, luck, dedication and passion distinguish a select few from the rest.
O.F Sense, formally Sentinentals, has one such story: a journey from complete obscurity to international recognition through talent and hard work.
The a cappella group will be celebrating its 10th anniversary next March, and is planning – once again – to make big waves in the music industry.
Despite not having released a CD yet, they have performed for the likes of Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. They were also sponsored to go on tours to both Germany and Italy in 2003 and 2004 respectively, where they appeared on a television show, and shared the stage with Andrea Botticelli at the opening night of the Florence 2004/5 Men’s Collection which featured designer names like Levi, Prada and Gucci. Their return form Italy was also covered by SABC news.
The five-strong group has its roots deep in the dusty roads of Orange Farms, near Johannesburg.
Sentinentals was born in 1999, after a local band visited their school and inspired the boys to make use of their talent. Sammy Nyembe (28) – now the lead singer – recruited the original 15 plus boys, of which five of the original members are still going strong.“The ones who were destined to be here today [remained]. We were stuck together.” says Zweli Dlomo (27), the group’s manager and spokesperson.
They used to practice daily, and through singing other artists’ music, such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, they become comfortable and confident in both their own abilities and those of the others within the group.
According to Dlomo, Sentinentals was an appropriate name at the time because “we all had the same mindsets and beliefs. We were all into singing and living a positive lifestyle.”And they still are, even after Leon Hlakudi – former lead vocalist – left the group, they decided it was time for a change, and O.F. Sense was born in October 2007.
“Sense” was to represent everything that matters in life to them: love, passion, education and dedication. “O.F.” stands for Orange Farms and symbolizes their roots and the group’s dedication to helping uplift those living there.
“Orange farms is one of those townships that is seen as very bad… in terms of crime, teenage pregnancies: a whole lot of negative things. But again, there’s lots of raw talent that can be seen as the best in the world, not only South Africa.” Says Dlomo.
And they hope to stimulate that talent by raising over R1 mil for both sports and the arts: music, drama and theatre. Not only are the former Love Live volunteers concerned with helping the youth, but the needy too.
Since Gordon Gule (26) had a kidney failure in September 2003, one of the group’s ultimate goals has been to raise R10 mil to help finance those needing, but who cannot afford, organ transplants.
They hope to raise this money from sales from their upcoming CD, as well as corporate performances for various companies.
In 2007 they produced a CD called ‘The Journey Begins’ which was never released. Their new album ‘Uhambo Lwethu’ is ready for production, but is just waiting for finances. They 15-track album will feature genres such as R&B, Afro-pop, House and Gospel.
“One of our goals with the songs in the album was to challenge listeners to make a difference in the world around them.” Says Dlomo.
Their inspiration springs from their environment: how it affects emotions and daily life.Sung in an array of languages - from English to Sesotho, Xhosa, Zulu and Tsonga – the easy tunes have proved to appeal to people from all backgrounds.
Anyone interested in having O.F. Sense perform for them can contact Zweli Dlomo on 073 289 3574 or email him at zweli.dlomo@gmail.com
Pictures: by Anthea van HeerdenPhoto 1: OF Sense 1Caption: Gordon Gule(26), Sammy Nyembe(28) and Zweli Dlomo(27)outside Thamsanqa High School, Orange Farms, where the group started and where they still practice today.
Photo 2: OF Sense 2Caption: Sammy Nyembe(28) Erick Mkumbeni (26), Zweli Dlomo(27), Gordon Gule(26) Morris Ngobeni (27)performing in Florence, Italy, on their 2004 tour.