...it makes me realise that I have never truly listened to the likes of Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie or Lucky Dube – but indeed at this juncture in time where recorded sound is all I shall ever experience – I am torn between choosing to go and see the legendary Abdullah Ibrahim live in London tonight… or have a night in?
Abdullah is one of those jazz legends, a South African piano maestro who has lived abroad, played around Europe, written the soundtrack for Chocolat and achieved immense amounts in his 78 rich years of life.
But perhaps I should rather go see a musician in the making of greatness... or a ‘musician on a mission’ as he calls himself! He is already great in my eyes, it’s the rest of the world who shall soon share in the discovery of his creative talents. And with his first ever printed CDs to call his own, he now has the physical product to take to the bigger boys of the music game! He has been doing the self-promotion thing online for some time, using all the YouTubes and social network sites available to spread the sound of one Ryan Koriya! And spread it he must! Ryan Koriya is a musician to watch for 2009…
And talking of YouTube and using the internet to full affect, I shall perhaps get to know these South African musical greats via the videos of the online world – and slowly but surely I can catch up on the Yvonne Chaka Chakas, Hugh Masakelas, Vusi Mhalaselas, Abdullahs, Dubes, Fassies, Makebas and more! And tonight I shall support the living arts at my favourite acoustic haven of the Halfmoon!
Rock on legendary musicians – and legendary musicians in the making…
x
