With a vast variety of musical acts constantly emerging from the Mother City, it is no secret that Cape Town is home to one of the world’s most electrifying live music scenes. However, this ever-evolving scene would be nothing without its sound engineers cooking up some magic behind the scenes.
[Table Mountain watches over Manfred Klose (left) and Given Nkanyane (right) on their short trip home. PHOTO: James Browning]
Stone Jets are a now London-based musical duo who have turned a lucky Cape Town recording studio meetup into an international touring band. Since relocating in 2019, bassist and vocalist Given Nkanyane and guitarist Manfred Klose have played their smile-summoning, South African-flavoured tunes on stages across the UK and Europe.
Pierre Rommelaere is a familiar face for local musicians and their fans alike — even if it is only from behind a camera. From his humble beginnings photographing live music at venues in Stellenbosch and Cape Town, Pierre has risen to one of the most prominent live music photographers in South Africa.
[Keanan performs on The Funky Bazaar stage in December. PHOTO: James Browning]
Keanan Eksteen is a Kraaifontein-born musician strumming charming indie tunes with an old-school rock ‘n roll attitude. An impressive first year of performance in 2022 saw Keanan take his hip-shaking, arm-flinging energy to stages in Europe, sell out local hotspot café Roux, and collaborate with the internationally acclaimed electronic duo, GoldFish.
[Face Jackson insists on being the best dressed in a room. PHOTO: Samara McQueston]
Every other month, the SGT Pepper bar on Long Street is transformed into The Funky Bazaar — a kaleidoscope of local bands, DJs, and vendors. Offering a curated night of Cape Town artistry, The Bazaar is a labour of love organised entirely by the local band, Face Jackson.
[Die Kaappunters (from left): Willem Möller, Jackie Lätti, Riku Lätti, Jean Tunes Marias, Mark Louis Ellis. PHOTO: Wessel Krige]
Die Kaappunters is a Cape Point-based Afrikaans pop supergroup that is sweeping the Cape with its energetic blend of alternative Afrikaans pop and Voëlvry-era protest rock that leaves audiences nostalgic and energised.
[Cam Trichart performs alongside Almost Alive at The Daisy Jones Bar. PHOTO: Supplied/Golden Blue]
Golden Blue is the solo project of Cam Trichart, a Cape Town-based musician, producer, and sound engineer. He combines a range of guitar styles with sparkly synths and electronic production to make a soundscape that is impressively cohesive.
[“I do a bit of video editing here and there but music has been my main thing for most of my life,” Sarah Blake tells us. PHOTO: Supplied/Sarah Blake]
Sarah Blake is a bassist, guitarist and vocalist sharing soul-soothing songs through honest lyrics and a sound as smooth as morning sunshine creeping through your curtains. Her music combines an education in jazz composition, playful vocal rhythm, and Brazilian grooves.
Gladiolus Tristis is Aaron de Kock’s, better known as RT Palmer‘s, second official EP. This project follows his 2021 release, Amalgamate, which featured BLACACTUS. Gladiolus Tristis marks the first-ever solo project from RT Palmer and is one that he took the time to meticulously curate into the oscillating seven-part production that was released on 9 December.
[Aidan Fraser performs at M-PIRE music on 8 November. PHOTO: Supplied/Aidan Fraser]
Aidan Fraser is a rising indie artist from Johannesburg with an eye-catching, androgynous fashion sense. He got started making self-produced demos for YouTube in 2019, was handpicked for a collaboration with local star J’Something of Mi Casa in 2020, and has now been signed for a full album with the label, Just Music.
