Monday, March 19, 2007
Arno & Gloria rock the house!
The Peak’ers packed-up on Friday and headed to Somerset West for a Rock n’ Jazz weekend gig that Lenny & Denise had been working on since November. FCB Impact 360° uses us for big events around the country (last one was the SHE band corporate tour), and this weekend was no different. Santam had the stunning Elana Afrika (5FM) as MC & hostess for the evening, and as a surprise, we’d set up an awesome collaboration between jazz mama Gloria Bosman and rock n’ roller Arno Carstens & his band New Porn. Months of planning, negotiations, emailing back and forth, expanding & downsizing ideas, rehearsals between them (because Rockers don’t play no Jazz), until it was finally happening!
We’d booked in at Die Ou Pastorie in Somerset West, a 186-year old landmark that really served up the best old-style hospitality in 5-star tradition, which was totally due to the manager Hannes and his colleagues. We were a minor invasion, & he couldn’t be more accommodating! As Elana says – just call 0800-HANNES – because he made everyone feel looked after, cared about & most of all relaxed. Santam was hosting 2600 of its employees in a moer-se (mother-of-a) marquee on the polo field at Lourensford Wine Estate, just up the road from Die Ou Pastorie, and it was truly massive! An impressive stage dominated, but because of the sheer size of the marquee, there were huge screens displaying live feeds everywhere to ensure everyone got to see the action – and action there was!
Arno & Gloria have already developed a good understanding of each others music, having performed a few times together in the past, so she was accompanied by backing vocalists (Asanda Bam & Phuthuma Tiso), while the New Porn set-up was Albert Frost on guitars & backing vocals, of course Brendan Jury on keys & viola, and Kevin Leicher & Warren Leicher (bass guitar), and Jerome Reynard (drums). And it was pure rock!The hour set was a combination of the two stars hits, with Arno softening his persona to suit some of Gloria’s jazzy tunes, which is like the cheetahs at Spier – chilled, but still wild at heart. Gloria, who is actually classically trained, transform into a wild-child, accompanying Arno on hits like Hole Heart, Hiroshima, and Another Universe.
The gala crowd swelled to the stage and immediately transformed the atmosphere from a crisp corporate affair, to a swaying & screaming mass of concert-going fans! Goose-bump material; while Arno just thrived on the adulation and spurred them both on to perform their hearts out!After we had all cooled down in the artist’s tent, we ended up back at Die Ou Pastorie’s ladies bar and were finally really able to let our hair down (and Elana could remove the double-sided tape keeping her assets from appearing on the front of Heat magazine!). We had an awesome night together, and I am sure some of the old Pastorie ghosts thought about packing their bags!
We’re going tour this Arno & Gloria combination; South Africa needs to see it. Hell, I need to see it again! It’s another classic case of how exciting South African music is in its diversity; and even more exciting when we mix and match (which is what we Peak’ers get off on), because music is a language that bulldozes’ over barriers; unites in its beat and gets the nation dancing!I have uploaded a cool little video I took of their rehearsal on Saturday afternoon...
UPDATE: I'm struggling getting my vid's on for some reason... will solve it soon! Also, regarding the SA Blog Awards and the mini-war that has developed... I say nothing. Nada. Niks nie! But you can read a pretty good summationof who loves who in the South African blogging community here! Juslike those Gauteng'ers can vloek! Peace people!)
22/03/07 UPDATE: I have no idea how I forgot, but if you do manage to get to Die Ou Pastorie, Head Chef Glen's creations are absolutely stunning! Presentation, taste, and the wonderful 'after-glow' that one feels when sitting and enjoying your coffee - you know you had a meal of class!
Labels: Arno Carstens, Elans Africa, Gloria Bosman, music
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Shannon Mowday - South Africa's joy of jazz!
This morning Shannon Mowday, one of the artists that we are very proud to deal closely with, popped-in to give us her latest promotional material. Having just been awarded the 2007 Standard Bank Young Jazz Artist award, we are going to be assisting her in raising her already impressive profile, and get another very high quality artist out onto the international stage.We’ve had a lot of contact with Shannon over the years, having first met her when she was playing with one of Cape Town’s top party bands, Late Final, back in about 1997. Her brother Hylton was also always impressive, but unfortunately South Africa lost him to Australia, and though it has crossed Shannon’s mind to leave to seek her fortune there, she is finding that her roots are keeping her here, and playing a strong part in defining who she is.
She’s a tough cookie. And I have no doubt that she will find a niche in the market that demands her to be herself, because her talent can only fully be appreciated when she is able to create on her own, not just a musician who plays like other artists. She needs to be seen and recognized for her own style – and that’s what has now happened with this award from Standard Bank. Shannon has officially been recognized.
Not that she hasn’t before – judging by the quality of her gigs over the last few months, which include: performing with her group ‘Galumphing’ at the Cape Town Jazzathon (January 2007); as a soloist with top Afrikaans artists at the Huisgenoot Kaapse Jol at the Bellville Velodrome (January 2007); Jazz in the Pines – Norfolk Jazz Festival – Norfolk, Australia (December 2006), at the ‘New Morning’ Jazz Club in Paris with SAFRA – South African-French all female collaboration (September 2006); her band Galumphing appearing at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Jazz Festival (August 2006); and performing as conductor of a National High School Big Band for Standard Bank Joy of Jazz (August 2006). She’s been a busy-bee, and got lots of exciting plans ahead for this year.One of the problems we have as booking agents, who cater to a mainly corporate market, is that we have to deal with our client’s expectations and requirements, who also often have absolutely no idea about what is available or hot & happening at the moment – which is why they would come to us at Peak.
We advise them who we feel will best fit their requirements – but there is still very little experimentation and exploration going on out there; allowing artists to collaborate, mix-and-match styles or just play their own compositions. Clients often prefer the safe option of getting a band that can play the music they know and are comfortable with – thereby missing out on a possible mind-blowing experience. (We’re excited with FCB Impact 361 & Santam for confirming Arno & Gloria’s collaboration – talk about being hip!)The music that our artists produce in this country is fresh and exciting; it is influenced by far more real human emotion and experience than most of the ‘pop’ artists who live in their little protected worlds in the heart of the 1st world; and is gaining international fans as more and more of them have the means of exporting their sounds.
Shannon hasn’t just taken it lying down. She has appeared at those bill-paying events, such as a day at the J&B Met in searing heat and a battlefield of youngsters in various stages of inebriation; or for the corporate client who thinks that a lapel-mike will be sufficient to amplify Shannon as she is expected to roam between the guests with her sax – but then her class is recognized at gigs like the Lord Mayors Banquet Ball, London with Concord Nkabinde (19-22 March), and watch out for her group Galumphing, featuring 2 Norwegian musicians, at the coming Cape Town International Jazz Festival (30&31 March).In the meantime – here is an interview made by Red Pepper Production for the Standard Bank Young Jazz Artist award, to introduce you to one of our musical wonders and a name to look out for in future – Shannon Mowday. I will be featuring lots more snippets of the exciting projects Shannon is involved in – as I said – she’s on the ball!
(Pics by Suzy Bernstein for Standard Bank)
07/02/19 UPDATE: Shannon will be appearing on the Basil 'Manenberg' Coetzee stage at the C.T.I.J.F - a nice big venue with a capcity for 3500! See you there!
Labels: Arno Carstens, award, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Concord Nkabinde, Gloria Bosman, jazz, jazzathon, Joy of Jazz, Shannon Mowday
Monday, February 05, 2007
Arno Carstens marries Mel!
I was standing in a queue at our local Spar on Friday when I glanced over at the magazine section and spotted the 8 February You Magazine, which I would normally NEVER do, but immediately bought the copy for the office! On the cover is a picture of Arno & Mel (nee Machattie) Carstens – newly wed at the idyllic Hakuna Majiwe Lodge, on the South East Coast of Zanzibar. We’d been dealing with Arno’s office intensively over the last 3 weeks, as we are in hectic planning stages of the Santam gig where he will be collaborating with Gloria Bosman; and we didn’t have a clue! Nobody said a word! (Ok… Peak People: An inside Look certainly doesn’t have the budget of You Magazine I admit!)
We sms’d Mel immediately to congratulate her and Arno on behalf of the Peakers, and she replied that she was glad that it had been kept a secret, as they had the most awesome, private time together with family and friends., and that it was the best 12 days of her life… Arno did 'wash her sandy feet with water and rose petals'...
Len and I have been married for 12 ½ years in April – so I can only tell Mel that things just get better with time!
So South Africa – our most eligible rock bachelor is no longer eligible, and gentlemen… I think we need to all drink to Arno’s good fortune – because a very lovely lady has been scooped up, and swept away!
In honour of their most beautiful wedding, I give you a little clip of weddings that they can be thankful, definitely, didn’t happen at their – otherwise You would have seen it!
Labels: Arno Carstens, Gloria Bosman, Zanzibar
