I am an entrepreneur, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in South Africa around the end of Apartheid, now living in London. I am currently establishing a new music business model through my online presence which aims to deliver new product on an almost weekly basis. Also, did I ever tell you about the time I produced a Zulu rap album…
What is the purpose of music you ask? It is to bring people together. No matter what culture you’re from, music functions best as a common ground between people and gives us a common language. Not necessarily a language like English, French or Swahili — but a language that unites us across physical and linguistic boundaries.
This common language is the reason I, a white guitar playing rock musician, ended up producing a Zulu rap album with a black artist with dreds. Despite Luxa (pronounced Look-Sa) spending his time lifting weights and living in the infamous South African shanty of Soweto, we were able to collaborate, as I was studying at university in Johannesburg. Even though we both had different backgrounds, in almost every sense, we were able to create something almost unprecedented. While you would think whites and blacks living in South Africa, fresh after Apartheid would have very little in common, it was music that became our common language.
Rhythmically, most good music can be simplified to a steady pulse, no matter what style or ethnic root. A steady pulse which is reminiscent of the first sound any of us hear in our mothers womb. That sound is the literal music of life; universal from womb-to-womb, from Johannesburg to Spokane. I think, subconsciously, we are reminded of that nurturing rhythm every time we hear a good beat…and this is the beat Luxa and I grew our friendship, and music upon.
Although I spent everyday with him, and helped him record 16 tracks — I didn’t understand a literal word he was saying…but somehow I understood the emotion and the convictions his words were carrying. (I also knew when a vocal take was flat it had to be done again.) For both of us, the recording was a very cathartic process–having to work at songs over and over again…but his dedication to the music came through in his relentless drive to make it perfect, and I was right there with him.
Though we may not have saved Soweto from hunger, or cured AIDS with our music, as small as our collaboration may seem, there is a lot to be said about our music bringing people together. We should all understand that music is universal, and can build bridges between people that concrete could never span. Whether it’s between me and my rapper friend, two friends singing along to the radio, or a Japanese mash-up of a Jamaican Dancehall song, music is what connects us all.
urpose of music? It is to bring people together. No matter the culture music functions best when it creates common ground between people and gives a common language. This is how I, a white guitar playing rock musician from the suburbs, ended up producing a Zulu rap album for a black rapper, with dread locks who spent alot of time lifting weights, and who had lived in the infamous South African shanty town Soweto. His name is Luxa (pronounced look-sa) and I had got to know him while i was studying at university in Johannesburg. Even though we both had such different backgrounds music became our common language and over a few months we recorded about 16 tracks. I didn’t understand the words he was saying while recording vocals but somehow I understood the emotion in his words and knew when a vocal take was flat and must be done again. For Luxa the recording was a very cathartic process and its no surprise that alot of the tracks turned out well.
Rhythmically most good music can be simplified to a steady pulse no matter what style or ethnic root. That steady pulse is the first music we ever heard in our mothers womb, and I think subconsciously we are reminded of that care free time every time we hear a good beat.
Music is universal and can build bridges between people, whether it between me and my rapper friend or between two people singing along to the radio. So next time you hear a good song or a great beat say so..you never know the friends you might make.