Sa Music is it on PAR

MIKA-the-better-one · 2009-12-05T16:04:51+00:00

SO I have been thinking long and hard about this, after some crazy little girl adimentally told me that the SA music scene (at least in relation to its bands...

Sa Music is it on PAR

aubs1

There is also Jonathan Butler, who is big in the USA, and has played with, and collaborated with big names over there.

Ricky Fataar is doing ok with Bonnie Raitt, and so is Blondie Chaplin who has been touring (as back-up singer and guitarist) with the Rolling Stones for quite a few years now......

Lethe

Stratisfear wrote: Nought - he finished at St Stithians (Randburg) and moved to the USA when he was 18.

"I go back to South Africa at least once a year, sometimes twice, and usually for a month. And probably, I'm guessing, I'll spend more time back there as I get older. South Africa gives me a perspective of what's real and what's not real. So I go back to South Africa to both lose myself and gain awareness of myself. Every time I go back, it doesn't take long for me to get caught into a very different thing. A very different sense of myself. It's a melting pot, southern Africa. You find these cultural collisions that result in art and music, and it's pretty amazing."

What do you mean nought?! That's exactly what I said ?
Thanks, I stand corrected ?

PeteM

Stratisfear wrote: Nought - he finished at St Stithians (Randburg) and moved to the USA when he was 18.

"I go back to South Africa at least once a year, sometimes twice, and usually for a month. And probably, I'm guessing, I'll spend more time back there as I get older. South Africa gives me a perspective of what's real and what's not real. So I go back to South Africa to both lose myself and gain awareness of myself. Every time I go back, it doesn't take long for me to get caught into a very different thing. A very different sense of myself. It's a melting pot, southern Africa. You find these cultural collisions that result in art and music, and it's pretty amazing."

Yep, hence my inclusion of him in the SA artists list.

chris77

What about production? We make a movie and it just looks low budget, regardless of the quality of the script and the acting. K@kker U.S and British movies on Hallmark looks more polished than serious S.A films. So isnt our music industry in the same boat perhaps? We migh have all the puzzle pieces but not the same quality builders that can fit it all together.

vic

exactly.....al those names of musos doing us proud. Forgot to mention a singer from PE who went over to the USA as part of a touring group of kids from the EC townships....Danny Williams ! He recorded the original (and best) version of Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany's) which sold millions of copies.

Keira-WitherKay

yeah i think we should not be looking only at the commercial success's here.............

art is art .........i travel a lot... and to me the test of the music culture or lack of it.sometimes comes from the smaller clubs and venues not the mainline acts........... i know that if i'm in paris or amsterdam i can go to local music venues and hear awesome musicians (who are not world famous) but are the run of the mill ...'working class" /gigging musician..........

a friend who just got back from new york showed me video of a guy playing /busking in the park that was playing mind blowing solo jazz guitar........... the standard is not marked by the few ........a tiny percentage in comparison ........ of the famous musicians but by the body of talent in a country..........

and i think definitely in the jazz and acoustic circles.......... dear old South Africa has
ever increasing depth of talent.......... i truly never listen to pop or rock so i can't judge that ...... but in my genre i see muso's in jhb who could comfortably gig the venues in europe .......and many do.......

and remember not to be too judgemental on SA music..we live in a country where 20 000 pitch to a provincial cricket /rugby game and pay R150 to get a ticket ...... but a music concert /festival is badly supported and people winge to pay couvert charge at a venue...........
and also in the percentage of musicians vs the percentage of muso's in USA we not doing too bad.........

it's all about the money....... if more venues paid higher salaries to bands ..music would be taken more seriously.. but how can they pay the muso's if the audiences don't support their local acts..........

so yeah i think SA music on jazz and acoustic front is pretty happening......... except that most of us arn't even aware of the talent out there ......... and don't support the talent that is.......

[deleted]

played with me in an instumental surf-rock band,

Krakatoa rocked. Pity you guys didn't do the show with the grass skirts and masks, or did I miss it?

I must say I share the opinion of most of the people here. Yes there's a lot of cool music here that's of a high quality and relevant to SA, but if you look in the wrong places you'll miss it. I've also found that the realy good bands contain musicians not driven by fame. They are content to have a family life, another job and even another hobby or two. We're just lucky to hear them occasionaly, and should be gratefull for that.

Are we on par? What a joke, of course we are, considering our size and interesting history.

singemonkey

Viccy wrote: Krakatoa rocked. Pity you guys didn't do the show with the grass skirts and masks, or did I miss it?

Thought I'd sneak by without being noticed ?

I'm still practising the Carcassi Study in A Minor. I play it better than before. Who knows, one day I might even play it well ?

[deleted]

Hey that's the beauty of getting older and playing more, you just get better! If I remeber correctly you weren't too bad with it to start off with.

vic

singemonkey wrote:
Viccy wrote: Krakatoa rocked. Pity you guys didn't do the show with the grass skirts and masks, or did I miss it?
Thought I'd sneak by without being noticed ?

I'm still practising the Carcassi Study in A Minor. I play it better than before. Who knows, one day I might even play it well ?

Hi Singemonkey....tell us more about this grass skirt and mask business.... ?

aubs1

vic wrote: exactly.....al those names of musos doing us proud. Forgot to mention a singer from PE who went over to the USA as part of a touring group of kids from the EC townships....Danny Williams ! He recorded the original (and best) version of Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany's) which sold millions of copies.

I think he went to the UK Vic, married an English girl, etc etc..... Second major World Wide hit after "Moon River" was "White on White"......... ?

vic

aubs1 wrote:
vic wrote: exactly.....al those names of musos doing us proud. Forgot to mention a singer from PE who went over to the USA as part of a touring group of kids from the EC townships....Danny Williams ! He recorded the original (and best) version of Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany's) which sold millions of copies.
I think he went to the UK Vic, married an English girl, etc etc..... Second major World Wide hit after "Moon River" was "White on White"......... ?

You're absolutely right Aubs....I also liked "White on white" ......."here she comes in her wedding gown...looking like a queen....." :?

MIKA-the-better-one

I do not doubt SA s ability to house talent, I do question the scene itself in which they plat in here, in regard to venues, events, and the local bands here in SA.