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#MusicExchange: Dave Reynolds
We spoke to SAMA-nominated artist, Dave Reynolds, who with Pops Mohamed has been nominated for a SAMA in the category ‘Best Jazz Album’ for their album, Live in Grahamstown.
Oh that's a great question! When I'm composing, performing, and when I get to do workshops with kids.
Well I'm just a servant to what music asks of me... I feel music as a force, which connects, which heals and which gives us inspiration and the courage to reach out to others.
It's been a great honour to work with my childhood heroes. Musicians like Pops Mohamed, Louis Mhlanga, Bra Hugh, Paul Hanmer, Andy Narell and others.
Too many to choose, but let me not wiggle out of it. Johnny Clegg showed me that we could all make something new in Africa and export it to the world. I was eight years old when I realised (through his music) what it means to be unique.
I have a steel pan I play everyday and a ten string harp guitar – they are like limbs on my body. I've also started playing a Paraguayan harp. I guess they are possessions although they don't feel like that.
Well, when I work, I drink Rooibos tea! When I unwind with friends I drink whatever they are drinking. (What does this make me? A cross between a nerd and a slut - a slerd?)
I love playing in theatres. I love collaboration, so a dream gig would be to collaborate with artists that I haven't had the chance to play with.
I play steel pans, which is really unusual, and I compose music that reaches different people in different ways. I also choose to play with musicians who are not just musicians but interesting people.
Just one: Daveman.
I’d probably be a mountaineer or a photographer. So much to choose from these days.
Easily inspired by little things.
Andreas Vollenweider - White Winds
Etienne Mbappe - Misiya
Mokhdar Samba - Dounia
Muzik Ye Afrika - Muzik Ye Afrika
Live in Grahamstown - Dave Reynolds & Pops Mohamed
There's been too many. Boy in the Bubble by Paul Simon was one of them.
Kak. There’s so much of it in business, the media and politics, and when we listen to good music it's kak-free!
Hand-painted shirts, but not too hippy.
Realise how lucky I am to be there.
DAVE + POPS - KANGO Live @ The Orbit from dave reynolds on Vimeo.
Difficult one: being an instrumentalist, I find music is music and keynote is keynote, although when I have gave a TED talk in Cape Town recently, I performed a tune of mine called, Kango which the audience really got into.
Fail. Fail again. Fail better.
Click here for the Dave Reynolds Facebook page.