Single? By Choice, or not? Dreading the upcoming Valentine’s day blues? Well, whatever emotions this day awake, why don’t combining both and celebrate life, loving Valentine’s day, and the Blues, as the NIROX Foundation hosts a stellar line-up of acoustic musicians, gourmet food traders & restaurateurs, a full bar, and a selection of sumptuous desserts.

Featuring artists like, will include Blues maestro Dan Patlansky, Cape Town loop artist and harmonica player extraordinaire, Dave Ferguson, Prodigal son of the South African blues scene, Albert Frost, Country & folk heroine, Laurie Levine, Lapsteel slide guitarist, Richard Bruyns and his, band The Saucetones, Bayou bluesmen Gunshot Blue and their grappa-infused melodies and the NIROX Residency Artists, The Urban Village, featuring their afrocentric renditions of blues classics.

An outdoor film screening will follow this full day of music, food, art & nature. Additionally, the debut of The Urban Village’s first music video ‘Inkani’ will be screened before the featured film.

A full day affair at NIROX Sculpture Park with its rolling lawns, meandering waterways and ever-changing sculpture collection, Valentine’s Blues is the ideal setting for friends, families and lovers to enjoy a glorious array of sensory feasts in the Cradle of Humankind.

Valentine’s Blues

17 February 2018

NIROX Sculpture Park, Krugersdorp, Gauteng.

Tickets:

R330.00 when booking online,

R360.00 at the gates – tickets at the gates will be subject to availability

Half-Price for kiddies under 12 years old, and free entrance to infants under 2.

General Information:

No food, drinks or pets allowed into the event.

Gates open at 10am with music from 11am.

There is ample secure parking inside the venue and concert goers are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the full day of music and to tour the Sculpture Park.

Caleo Wealth Management is the anchor sponsor for the NIROX Foundation’s on-going concert programme.

Mini is an official partner to the Valentine’s Blues concert.

Social Pages:

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/211228956111682/

Facebook: @niroxarts

Twitter: @NiroxFoundation

Instagram: niroxfoundation

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Aanhangers van Len Muller het die afgelope week aangedui dat sy liedjie Ons Is Een, vanaf sy tweede studio-album, Oog van die Storm, hulle gunsteling is. Len het geluister en pas dié liedjie as volgende enkelsnit bekendgestel.

Len het tien maande in Amerika spandeer en het gedurende daardie tyd baie na Suid-Afrika verlang. Daar het hy besef dat hy sy land eintlik baie lief het en het hy toe al aan die lied begin skryf.

“Ek glo ons is nie gemaak om in te pas of dieselfde te dink of te lyk nie. Dit is juis wat ons uniek en ‘beautiful’ maak. Daar is soveel diversiteit en verskillende kulture in Suid-Afrika, maar dit hoef ons nie te verdeel nie. Ek is oortuig dat ons in eenheid kan saamleef binne ons diversiteit. Ons Is Een is my gebed vir die land en ek wil mense van verskillende agtergronde en kulture uitnooi om mekaar te probeer verstaan en in vrede saam te leef, want Ons Is Een!”, sê Len.

Oor die afgelope paar jaar het Len nie net die verhoog met groot name soos Matthew Mole, Francois van Coke, Straatligkinders, Jan Blohm, Bok van Blerk, Dans Dans Lisa, Chris Chameleon, Jak de Priester, Andriëtte Norman, Dan Patlansky en Kaleidoskoop gedeel nie, maar homself ook gevestig as liedjieskrywer. Hy is beslis besig om ’n sterk nalatenskap in die musiekbedryf te skep en Oog van die Storm is ’n getuigskrif hiervan. Alle oë en ore is op hom, terwyl hy stelselmatig sy merk as een van Suid-Afrika se gewildste jong sterre maak.

Oog van die Storm is beskikbaar op iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/za/album/oog-van-die-storm/id1245868081

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Stanley June is excited to release fourteen brand-new tracks, including two bonus acoustic tracks. The album title refers to making the most of your time by experiencing different parts of the world and being exposed to its people and cultures.

I’m genuinely proud of this album. It has been quite a big growing experience for me; not only as a musician, but also as a producer and a songwriter. I think the album really encapsulates exactly who I am at this point in time. The album is extremely dynamic; there are heavy songs, slow songs and upbeat songs – truly a little bit of everything. I can’t wait to take it on the road and hear people’s thoughts. – Stanley June about the album ‘Maps & Minutes’.

This release follows Stanley June’s debut album, ‘Imitating Art’, in 2013, which delivered numerous radio singles and favourable responses from critics and music lovers. Once again, he is responsible for all the lyrics and compositions on his second album. Apart from two tracks recorded and produced by the renowned Jake Odendaal at Maven Productions, Stanley June recorded and produced the rest of the tracks at his own studio, MusicSwan Studios in Johannesburg. Musicians he collaborated with on the album include Andy Maritz, drummer for amongst others Dan Patlansky and Stuart Reece, Paul Loots session guitarist for Snotkop and Chris Chameleon and Corné Crous lead vocalist of Paper Plane City.

Stanley June has already released two singles and music videos off ‘Maps & Minutes’, namely ‘Define Love’ and ‘Never Let Me Go’. These singles enjoyed listings on numerous radio stations, including SAFM, MixFM, MFM, Zone Radio, Groot FM and RSG, and music video plays on SABC and M-Net. The third single to be released off the album and currently on its way to radio and TV, is entitled ‘Holding On’.

Says Stanley June: “Holding On’ is about how our words and actions affect those around us, often even without our knowledge. It’s important to always be kinder than necessary, because everyone is going through some sort of struggle that you don’t know anything about. I tried to illustrate that in the video to show how our actions have an influence on the atmosphere around us. I wanted to show this by adding smoke and floating particles in the room that reacts to the dynamics of the music.”

Maps & Minutes are now available on most online platforms. Here is a taste of the single to come:

Photos by Schutte

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Deur Jaco Lotriet

Miskien lê die vreugde van die lewe daarin om al die verskillende seisoene van die lewe te aanvaar. Om die geleenthede wat elke seisoen bied, te vier. Dit is juis hierdie tema wat deurgans op Len Muller se nuwe album na vore gebring word. Met hierdie blymoedige mantra het die onverskrokke oud-inwoner van Richardsbaai sy tweede solo projek benader… en suksesvol daarin geslaag!

Oog Van Die Storm, onlangs vrygestel voor ‘n intieme gehoor wat die snerppende koue in die Gauteng lug trotseer het, is by Industrial Coffee Works koffiekroeg in Centurion met ‘n warm atmosfeer ontvang.

Die vriendelike Ghoema- en Tempo benoemde sangsensasie het weggeval met die goed-voel enkelsnit, Ek Glo, gesteun deur ‘n klein driestuk – orkes van gesoute sessie musikante, onder wie Jason Moser op tromme, Dean Henning op elektriese kitaar en Raldo Mattheus op baskitaar, tjello en bykomende kitaar. Met die inleiding en vers van die openingsitem, het Len op sy akkoestiese kitaar my verbeelding aangegryp, deur die weg te baan vir die koor gedeelte, wat bes beskryf kan word as energiek en besonder melodieeus.

‘n Ondertoon van geloof is duidelik te speur in die woorde van hierdie album. In passing met die voorgenoemde tema, verduidelik Muller dat sy roeping juis uitgeloop het uit die geloofspronge wat hom deur sy moeilike tye gedra het. Geloof in jou eie vermoëns en in God wat die pad aanwys dien as uitnodiging, wat die luisteraar voorwaar sal inspireer tot nuwe hoogtes.

Die album bevat ‘n speellys van 12 kontemporêre en altrnatiewe luisterliedjies, wat noukeurig verwerk is deur twee vervaardigers, Gideon Botes en Francois de Klerk. Dan Patlansky het ‘n verrassende blues stemming aan die snit Amsterdam verleen, ‘n genre wat Muller verklap, hy nog altyd wou opneem. Alhoewel ek nie Afrikaans met diè tipe musiekstyl vereenselwig nie, moet ek bieg, Muller se weergawe laat dit besonder goed werk.

Die titelsnit, Oog van die Storm, is diep pynsend, selfs pleitend. ‘n Klavier gedrewe angslied, tog met ‘n silwer randjie, ontbloot ‘n warrelwind van emosies wat met ‘n crescendo opbou, en saggies ontplof, totdat ‘n tromrol hierna die pas aangee, tot die einde. Mynhardt Smit het saam met Muller aan Oog van die Storm geskryf. Saam, illustreer hulle ‘n skynende baken van hoop wat hartsnare goed roer en ongetwyfeld my gunsteling op die album is!

Ander medewerkers wat die produksie verder vervolmaak het, sluit in Roan van As op Vrede, ‘n optimistiese lied met ‘n parmantige prof klop op die tromme, wat ook Muller se gemaklike falsetto uitlig. Faraway George, wat saam geskryf het aan Sente vir Sente, sinspeel op Muller se lang pad na roem, met verwysing na sy eie uitdagings as kunstenaar. Die gebruik van ‘n banjo verleen ‘n lekker country musiek luim en sleep die luisteraar in ’n wêreld waar gevoelens van twyfel in jou drome, die oorhoofse tema is. Bekende sanger, Laurika Rauch, en skrywer Chris Torr, het hul stempel van goedkeuring afgedruk op ‘n ou Rauch gunsteling, Die Gang. Muller se verwerking is aangrypend mooi afgerond maar behou nogsteeds sekere elemente wat die oorspronklike weergawe so geliefd gemaak het.

Oog van die Storm getuig van Len Muller se ongelooflike senstitiewe liedjieskryf vermoëns in sy soeke na musikale volmaaktheid. Hierdie merkwaardige kenmerke het tot dusver gesorg vir die sukses wat hy reeds bereik het deur diep spore in die Afrikaanse musiek bedryf te trap. Nou weer, met sy tweede slag, voer hy dit selfs verder deur sy siel bloot te stel in sy musiek wat homself net stewiger sal vestig in die harte van musiekliefhebbers.

Oog van die Storm is nou landswyd beskikbaar.

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JOE SATRIANI has extended the dates featuring DAN PATLANSKY as special guest on the European leg of his Shockwave Tour 2015. The legendary artist and performer announced award-winning singer-songwriter/blues-rock guitarist DAN PATLANSKY as special guest in 10 European countries. DAN will now be playing with SATRIANI from 9 October to 10 November this year at 25 shows in 10 countries over the course of 33 days.

“Joe Satriani has been a massive inspiration in my life and to many others. He is the most forward-thinking and most inspirational guitar player of our time and I am extremely honoured and excited to be on the road with him.” – Dan Patlansky.

After the success of the 2015 European release of DAN’s latest album, Dear Silence Thieves, at The Borderline in London on 27 April, DAN has been receiving rave reviews in Europe, whilst extensively touring Germany, Poland, UK and the Netherlands earlier this year.

“Everyone is talking about this South African singer/guitarist these days. You will be too after you’ve wrapped eardrums around this potent dose of blues rock.” – The Blues Magazine UK, August 2015.

“Dan Patlansky might be from the opposite side of world, but holds the future of blues in his hands.” – Dan Patlansky featured as Class of 2015 alongside Rival Sons, Halestorm, Black Stone Cherry, Von Hertzen Brothers and more in Classic Rock Magazine UK, August 2015.

“Award-winning South African Dan Patlansky brings some much needed spark to an over-subscribed genre on his seventh album… It seems churlish to call a player so far into his career ‘one to watch’, but he is.” – Guitarist Magazine UK, May 2015.

DAN PATLANSKY’s first single, ‘Backbite’ received 14 weeks of radio play rotation on Planet Rock/UK and the station has invited DAN to perform as one of the headliners amongst artists such as Rival Sons, Jo-Anne Shaw Taylor, The Darkness and more, at the Planet Rockstock Festival in Trecco Bay, South Wales 4-6 December 2015. He will also be performing at The Borderline in London, with special guest Aaron Keylock, for a second time after the festival.

DAN also recently released a brand new music video for his latest single FETCH YOUR SPADE via Classic Rock Magazine, which is also now play listed on Planet Rock UK.

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