Pic: Mynie Grové by Gerda Genis
How is the Western Cape treating you?
Coming back home to Cape Town after my first Johannesburg stint was a cultural shock after having experienced four years of intense Jo’burg “training” about work mode, traffic, social interaction and general modus operandi.
It had NOTHING to with “Slaapstad” syndrome; it was everything to do with rediscovering the lifestyle of quality over quantity in all spheres. I remember walking down Burg Street early one morning and seeing a guy in lekker los pants, sandals, long hair and a beard, carrying his leather briefcase on his way to work and smiling. I KNEW I was home.
I went back to Johannesburg for another five years.
What is different in the “City with a Mountain in the Middle” is that we are surrounded with opportunities to create in our beautiful province with a functional provincial government, spectacular culture, beaches and forests and people to match. I am home.
How do you juggle your roles of publisher, producer, music business activist, business developer, mentor and life coach?
Nothing to juggle when you live your true purpose. I can morph into any of these at any given time because my business is the true me – I am the business I practice.
Of all your songs, which one are you the proudest of?
You are asking a parent which child is their favourite! LOL – Out of almost 500 compositions/songs I love the ones that were written and composed without effort, ie “Always”, “Shining”, and instrumental tracks, much like songwriting, but without restriction of words, freedom in sound and mood.
What musical collaborations have you enjoyed the most?
My industry father was Klaus Netzle aka Claude Larson, an international composer, arranger and producer who exposed me to the ways of music business and all it entails. He has an intense following for his electronic music on the internet.
My second admired collaborator is JB Arthur/Jo Arthur. With his laidback but driving style, he is that elusive collaborator who enhances something intangible into a magical experience. He was my music director when I represented SA in Chile twice, and those incredible experiences were made memorable through humour and easy comradery in all we signed up for.
How has your writing changed over the years?
I write differently. Simpler. Don’t need to satisfy a record company or show off anymore. I simply express what I feel or what a composition and its purpose require. There is NOTHING more satisfying than creating a sound, a mood, a memory through the recording process and captured for posterity.
What does the future hold for you?
I am adjusting to the lockdown aftermath – from being “frozen” in time since March 2020, to thawing into finding the me I lost during these past two years.
My heart bleeds for every musician, performer, composer, songwriter who was caught in a bubble for which we were not prepared. We had to navigate depression and desperation and STILL we are restricted in what we are able to put out when DSAC (Department of Sport, Arts and Culture) has not lifted ALL our embargos.
Nevertheless – I have been blessed with the ability and capacity to adapt, have faded scars to prove it and a spirit that overcomes. That is what I wish for EVERYONE who can relate. And I am excited to figure it out, explore, discover and learn. Bring it on!
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Written by Simon Matthews.
