Music

Barry and Calli Thomson at Suncoast

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Get ready to rock with the dynamic musical duo of Barry and Calli Thomson on Sunday, June 28, at the Suncoast Amphitheatre from 2 pm!

A well-known performer in Durban, Barry has had many years of experience playing in and around KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa. He started playing music at the age of seven and formed his first band when he was 13 while at school at Beachwood High School in Durban.

In 1991 he graduated with a Diploma in Classical and Contemporary guitar. Since then he has worked with some well-known orchestras including the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra as well as playing at numerous venues, such as the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Playhouse Theatre and the Heritage Theatre in Hillcrest.

Calli, a University of Cape Town graduate in classical piano, went on to study jazz and has played solo piano at 5 star hotels in Cape Town such as The Cape Sun, the Mount Nelson, the Victoria and Alfred in the Waterfront and many more.

She has taught in the jazz department at UCT and lectured at City Varsity Multimedia College in Cape Town. In 2005, Calli settled in Durban with husband guitarist and singer, Barry, and continues her career in musical theatre and music of all genres.

Entry is free. For more information you can visit http://www.suncoastcasino.co.za.

Enjoy a free celebration of music and culture in Newtown

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The annual and uniquely free celebration of music and culture, Fête de La Musique in Newtown, brings musical diversity and showcases a broad mix of music ranging from pop, rock, hip-hop, jazz, traditional and even to brass band music.

The international musical line-up includes the “King of Salegy” from Madagascar, Jaojoby; the French touch of Benjamin Piat (France) and the Reunionese maloya rhythms and sounds of Grèn Sémé (France/Reunion Island).

The local line-up promises to be as diverse and powerful as the international line-up with SA’s favourites established and growing talents: BCUC, The Muffinz, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Coal Train Band, Go Barefoot, Pilani Bubu, Motsatsing and the Rays, The African Ambassadors Brothers, Zetina Mosia, Maria Mombelli and the Belly Buttons, Amandla Freedom Ensemble, and The Meerkat Mob!

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Born To Perform celebrates our young talent

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Today’s stars join stars of tomorrow in the Born To Perform Gala Concert at The Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City on Wednesday 1 July at 7.30 pm.

Daniel Baron, Graeme Watkins, Nathan Ro and Cito join budding stars of tomorrow on stage to celebrate the young and professional talent that we have in South Africa.

Born To Perform is a platform created by Gemma Marinus Donnelly and Matthew Marinus to create professional opportunities in the performing arts industry for young budding talented children and teens.

Originally coming from the United Kingdom, Gemma has been a major player in the musical theatre industry in SA for over eight years before opening up an elite performing arts school (Stageworx School Of Performing Arts) in 2009. www.stageworx.co.za

Passionate about growing a bright future for our budding artists Gemma and Matthew are heavily involved in training and showcasing the future stars of SA.

Matthew is best known as the talented drummer for The Graeme Watkins Project, but most recently is fast making a name for himself as Dream Canvas Productions, a video production company he has recently formed, where he produces music videos and EPK’s for SA artists. www.dreamcanvas.co.za

For the Born To Perform Gala Concert at The Lyric Theatre on July 1, Gemma and Matt have searched all over Johannesburg for the most talented singer, dancers and actors in musical theatre and pop music to put together a variety style show inspired by the annual Royal Variety Show in England. These budding performers will be teaming up with some of SA’s favourite artists to show the world what South Africa has to offer.

Says Gemma; “We are lucky enough to have such strong industry support and have managed to gain assistance from some top industry players including Collett Dawson and Cito from The CoLab Network as well as seasoned pro’s such as Graeme Watkins (The Graeme Watkins Project) Nathan Ro (Lonehill Estate), Daniel Baron and Cito (WONDERboom).

“Having these artists performing with our young stars will not only give the youngsters an experience of a lifetime but also hopefully encourage other producers to create opportunities in the industry for them. “

The evening will be a dazzling display of song and dance provided by our leading stars alongside a wide array of budding talent. Here are just a few of the expected highlights:

  • Graeme Watkins and Nathan Ro will be opening the show with a full swing section with over 60 children hand-selected from the Johannesburg region in an explosion of timeless dance and song classics.
  • Cito will be performing one of his signature performances, Hallelujah, with the beautiful talented 10-year-old Tylo Venter.
  • Daniel Baron will be performing a medley of recent popular radio songs with some upcoming music stars including Joshua Middleton, Lisa Kriel and Joshua Moreira.
  • For the musical theatre lovers we have excerpts from Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar, Matilda, Smash and Jekyll and Hyde accompanied by Rowan Bakker (musical director of Jersey Boys SA Tour, Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You.)

The second leg to Born To Perform is the Born To Perform TV show. Gemma and Matthew are currently in the process of filming segments for this, such as the “Sing with a Star” segment where talented children will duo with local stars – such as Tylo Venter in this clip working with Belinda Davids from the recent The Greatest Love of All – The Whitney Show. Watch the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sd0kCWqKT8

The final aspect is the new Teen group “The Buzz” where it’s hoped to create a market for young singers in the SA music scene. You can see the debut of “The Buzz” at the showcase in July.

Tickets range from R180 to R220 and can be booked through Computicket or online at www.goldreefcity.co.za or by calling The Lyric Theatre Box Office on 011 248 5000.

Follow Born to Perform:

Website: www.borntoperform.co.za

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/Borntoperformgala

YouTube: Born To Perform TV

Stageworx Performing Arts is always looking for new talent for their projects so if you are a young talented teen please send a clip to info@borntoperform.co.za

Watch these videos to give you an idea what to expect from the youngsters on the night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cBzy4ade94

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iiw93HzaMco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtfUq_FfF7w

Final concert in the KZN Philharmonic Winter Season

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VIOLINIST Joanna Frankel will be the soloist in the final concert of KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra’s World Symphony Series winter season in the Durban City Hall at 7.30 pm on June 25.
The concert, titled, A Virtuosic Finale!, will be conducted by Carlos Izcaray.
It opens with Claude Debussy’s symphonic poem Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun. The work, based on the poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, tells the story of a faun waking up in a dreamlike state to find fairies and nymphs as the morning progresses.
Music lovers can also look forward to 38th Symphony, “Prague”, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Frankel, the concertmaster of the KZN Philharmonic, will perform Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a mammoth work fraught with Soviet expression, themes and virtuosity.
Joanna Frankel is the soloist with the KZN Philharmonic on June 25 in the Durban City Hall.

Joanna Frankel is the soloist with the KZN Philharmonic on June 25 in the Durban City Hall.

Tickets for the concert can be booked at Computicket.

Relive the glory days of Freddie Mercury & Queen

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Cape Town will be given the opportunity to relive the glory days of Freddie Mercury and his iconic band Queen when Artscape Opera House hosts the world’s premier Queen tribute show Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic for a two-week run this November.

Recreating Queen’s 1986 World Tour concert, the show features all of the band’s greatest hits performed live including We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are the Champions and Fat-Bottomed Girls. Careful attention has been paid to all the music – the iconic voice of Mercury, the amazing guitar solos of May and the groundbreaking rock harmonies – plus audiences can expect all the big sound, lighting, effects and costumes of a full-scale rock concert.

The show is expected to be yet another hit for promoters Artscape Opera House who wowed sell-out crowds and drew critical acclaim for The Greatest Love of All – The Whitney Houston Show that played Artscape earlier this year.

In fact Queen – It’s a Kinda Magic is good enough to have attracted the attention, endorsement and eventual involvement of Peter Freestone, Freddie Mercury’s best friend, neighbour, biographer and personal assistant for 12 years.

After reviewing the show while in Singapore in 2007, Freestone was duly impressed and contacted promoter John Van Grinsven with his compliments. A friendship ensued and Freestone now tours with QIAKM where his schedule allows, acting as a production consultant for the show as well as signing autographs and chatting with Queen fans.

Englishman Giles Taylor will spearhead the role of Freddie Mercury with support from Australians Richie Baker, as Brian May on guitar, and Kyle Thompson, as Roger Taylor on drums, and South Africa’s Steven Dennett as John Deacon on bass.

In 2014 Taylor took on the coveted and complex role of Freddie Mercury. His career has seen him travel the world over the past 13 years, performing with artists such as Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), Gabrielle, Rick Wakeman, The Moody Blues, Martin Taylor, Richard O’Brien, Sir Jimmy Tarbuck and Dennis Waterman.

Despite this incredible roll call of colleagues, Taylor counts his role in Queen – It’s a Kinda Magic as one of the toughest musical roles he has encountered to date.

“Freddie was known for his powerful voice and vocal range, and had a very distinct character in general, so emulating him is quite a challenge, but those details need to be just right for a show of this magnitude. True Queen fans will appreciate the attention to detail,” says Taylor.

NEED TO KNOW

Queen – It’s a Kinda Magic runs from November 10-22 at Artscape Opera House. Tickets at Computicket.

National Youth Orchestra in Potch and Joburg

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The National Youth Orchestra will be performing in Potchefstroom on July 2 and Johannesburg on July 3 – don’t miss these wonderful concerts!

In the heart of the winter, the orchestra will be hosting its Winter Course from June 27 to July 2 in Potchefstroom. The musicians will be performing under South African conductor Matheu Kieswetter, and Norwegian conductor, Bjørn Breistein.

The two orchestras (string ensemble and wind orchestra) consist of 85 young musicians from all over South Africa. The aim of this course is for these young musicians to meet each other and learn about diverse cultures, develop as young professionals (with access to national and international networks that the youth orchestra provides) and discover the pure joy of orchestral music.

This course is proudly sponsored by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Artéma, the SAMRO Foundation and North West University. One of the orchestra members will also have the opportunity of receiving a “Pukki” bursary from the university to the value of R20,000.

The course will be concluded with two Warm Your Heart concerts at the Snowflake in Potchefstroom on July 2, and at The Orbit in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on July 3. Tickets for these events are available on the National Youth Orchestra’s website: www.sanyo.org.za/events.

The National Youth Orchestra invites music enthusiasts to come and experience the exceptional talent South Africa has to offer in these exhilarating performances with exquisite music including Finlandia by Sibelius in celebration of his 150th anniversary, and a SAMRO-commissioned piece by star South African composer Andile Khumalo.

For more information, visit: www.sanyo.org.za

Semi-finalists sing the tune of a new South Africa

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Last week, SAMRO Foundation administrators and a panel of adjudicators completed an intensive selection process – narrowing a pool of 35 applicants to 12 semi-finalists.

On August 27 these talented South African vocalists – six in Western Art (“classical”) music and six in Jazz – will compete live during the intermediate round of the Foundation’s annual Overseas Scholarships Competition. One singer in each category will claim the ultimate prize: a R170 000 study award and the opportunity to accelerate their journey towards artistic and creative excellence.

The SAMRO Overseas Scholarships Competition has evolved much over 53 years. This evolution has followed South Africa’s compelling journey towards a unique cultural identity that reflects our history, our struggles, triumphs and visibility on the global stage.

“We are now starting to hear a truly South African sound,” says Andre Le Roux, managing director of the SAMRO Foundation. “This year, SAMRO Foundation administrators and adjudicators took note of and were impressed by several candidates who chose South African compositions for their competition repertoire.

“Compared to previous years, there seems to be increased appreciation of South African composition. For us as a Foundation within Africa’s largest music rights organisation and composers’ society, this is proof that we’re doing impactful work to preserve our rich heritage and shape the new inclusive voice of our country.”

All 12 semi-finalists are between 22 and 30 years of age and are pursuing their passion as top achievers in the music world. Many have already honed their musical prowess as professional performers.

This year’s top six in the Jazz music category are:
Amy Campbell (UCT)
Mikhaela Kruger (UCT)
Palesa Modiga (UCT)
Nelmarie Rabie (TUT and UP)
Kwena Ramahuta (UKZN)
Amy Walton (UCT)

The Western Art music category’s semi-finalists are:
Khanyiso Gwenxane (TUT and UCT)
Andiswa Makana (TUT)
Nombuso Ndlandla (NWU)
Levy Sekgapane (UCT)
Makudupanyane Senaoana (UCT)
Victoria Stevens (UCT)

Four finalists – two in each category – will compete for top prizes on August 29 at the Linder Auditorium. This thrilling final round is open to the public, features live accompaniment, special guests and performances of a selection of musical works including a South African composition specially commissioned for the occasion.

The SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition rotates every year between awards for vocalists (2011, 2015), instrumentalists (2012, 2016), keyboard players (2013, 2017) and composers (2014, 2018).

Three SAMRO Overseas Scholarship winners have been recognised as Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipients, and countless others have gone on to pursue successful professional careers as internationally renowned Western Art and Jazz musicians.