Tuesday 25 May 2010

HAVE LOCAL MUSICIANS LOST THE PLOT?

In the early seventies, our band had a lot of fun doing cover versions of songs by groups such as Deep Purple, Jethro Tull and Vanilla Fudge.
The music was simple, not rocket science at all, and we could copy the music with only a very basic ability and knowledge of music.

Then, groups like Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago came along with their brand of rock-jazz and we had to up the game a notch.

In order to copy this music, we had to learn a few extra chords and develop our playing skills a bit.

Then came, amongst others, Joe Zawinol, Stanley Clarke, Michael Brecker and John McLaughlin. Whew!
Naturally, this progressed to us being introduced to the likes of John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus and Thelonius Monk.

Suddenly we realised that in order to play this music we needed a deep knowledge of music and we needed to master our individual instruments.

The market for this music was however, a tiny one, and we were labelled ‘musicians’ musicians.’
In other words, only fellow musicians appreciated our music.

Music became ‘a science with a message’ and in the process, the fun was taken out of it. Many of our musicians are still trapped in this mind set.

When I listen to groups like BLK JKS and Locnville, it is so obvious that these guys are having a lot of fun.
And….the audience is having a lot of fun.

Is this maybe the reason why these groups are making waves on both the local and the international music scene?

Come on guys. It's called entertainment. Not edutainment
I think it's time to lose the science and the message and put the fun back in music.

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Kader Khan