I knew Syd since I was a teenager. I met him at a folk contest I entered myself in, plus I worked at a popular music store in Murchies Passage and Syd would come in and hang out. It was quite the hang for Durban based players like Bokkie De Beer, Peter the Greek, Richard Pickett, Jeff White and many others. At one point I had my guitar teaching studio in the arts building next to the Playhouse where Syd taught as well on a different floor. Later he ended up opening a guitar shop there on the ground floor-
Syd Kitchen's Guitar Saloon.
When I moved to the States to try crack it here, my contact with him took a dive. We had no E mail then, phone calls were too expensive.... but every time I came home on vacation we would hook up and jam. I'll always remember one particularly memorable occasion at a club called Funky's, along with Steve Fataar and others...tore the roof off that sucker! Funky's, as I recall, was on Hermitage St? I also played on Syd's album City Child while back on vacation one time, what a pleasure. No rehearsals, never heard the songs before-I just sat down and played on several songs, a single pass each and then I had to boogie in a big hurry to be somewhere.
In 2008 Syd came over to the USA to do a few gigs, and did a quick Los Angeles stop. He played a gig at a predominantly acoustic guitar store in Santa Monica called McCabe's. They have a stage and feature big name national acts and international artists. If you want to see an incomplete list of who has played there......
http://www.mccabes.com/perflist.html#k
Anyway, while he was in LA I picked him up and brought him to my home to meet my family and hang out for a day. We jammed a bit and he played the hosepipe flute for my daughters and as always, as we caught up we talked a lot about music and the scene back home.
Yeah his passing sucks. Not only for the loss of a friend and a musical colleague I hold in the highest regard and respect greatly.....but for me it also brings to the surface a lot of of different kinds of "stuff" as well, being as he is the first from my circle of Durban musician friends, to pass on.
Syd was an excellent guitar player and totally had his own inimitable style. He also was quite schooled and was going for his Honors and Masters in Musicology. He knew a
TON about music.
What was so inspiring was his level of commitment to his craft, to his trade. He was unbelievably dedicated. He did not waver, just kept going, always pushing ahead. The younger readers here should consider that in those days the music scene in SA was bloody awful. There was little to no hope of making it, especially in terms of being known outside of the country. The only way to have a crack at something better was to leave. But Syd chose to stay in SA, when so many good musicians baled out of sheer and utter disgust. He stayed and did his part to try and make the music scene in South Africa a little better and in doing so he perhaps helped pave the way for younger musicians to come. I see him as sort of a pioneer, a South African musical pioneer.
Yes, I will miss my friend.
Thanks for reading, thanks for the ability to post this.
Syd and I, 2008.
