Annie
Singer
Annie’s love for music dates back to her childhood – don’t we all! She actively pursued the arts, poetry and prose in particular, and music as a way of self-expression and as an escape. She fondly recalls and honours her grandmother’s vocal talent. Her mother is an undeniable influence on her writing and performances.
Annie has performed her poetry on stages around Cape Town and has performed at events such as The Badilisha Poetry Exchange. She is published, darlings, with a book titled Voices I Heard, a compilation of her poetry and a collection of photography. More recently, she has attended Kim Kallie Performance Academy to receive her formal vocal training and has been coached and mentored by notable musicians such as Danielle Bitton and Johan Laas.
Whilst Annie’s first love is poetry and music; she is professionally employed in the Marketing and Brand Communication industry, where she brings through her artistic side to help brands and organisations thrive and connect. (We need to talk …).
She says, “My parents have always wanted us as their kids to be formally employed with a job title that sounds serious (don’t we all!) So I have studied and worked in businesses to honour their wishes. Being a full time writer or musician was never an option in my eyes. I am grateful they forced me to take the route I have followed because it gave me time to mature as an individual, see the world and approach my music and writing differently. It’s a precious gift for me.”
Godfrey "Godja" Dyantyi
Bass Guitarist
Godja grew up in Nyanga East and started learning art at the Nyanga Arts Development Centre.
He started playing acoustic guitar at the age of 15 and moved on to bass guitar from there, where he discovered his full potential and sincere passion. (He is also about 9 feet tall, so bass guitar seems most appropriate!)
He started playing with various local bands, musicals and projects like Songs of This Soil, Beyond The Moon and Nomfusi and the Lucky Charms which was his break through into the international arena including Europe, Canada, Belgium, Portugal, Swaziland and Malawi. he has worked with organisations like the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust, Sink After School and the Nyanga Arts Development Centre, to mention a few.
He is also a sought after studio-session musician.
Using art as a vehicle, Godja’s desire is to transform the youth’s mindsets to combat the daily social ills that they are exposed to.
Matthew Ficsher
Drummer
Matthew Fischer has always been fascinated with instruments and the amazing way music can touch each and every person.
At the age of 7, he got his first full drum set (that he still has up until this day), and from there … there was no turning back.
He has played at many festivals and venues across Cape Town such as the Community Chest Carnival, Green Market Square Free Concert and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival where he played as a member of the ALL STAR BAND under the direction of Don Vino Prins. He also played on a live CD recording at the Nassau Centre with pianist Reggie Dryer.
Matthew Fischer is the resident drummer for Cape Town based band, The Pedestrians and is also currently working with Glen Hartmann, Grethe van de Merwe and Selim Kagee. He has certainly been making a name for himself in the Cape Town music scene.
Despite his brilliance, he is a humble giant in the music world and loves teaching drums with a warm place in his heart for the youth, inspiring them to become good musicians in the future.
Millicent Mbaliso
Singer
One word to describe Millicent: passionate.
She is a singer and has found that music, most importantly the performing thereof, is without question her purpose!
She is a born and bred Cape Town musician who grew up in the streets of Nyanga Township.
To secure her purpose, she is currently a 2nd-year music student at the University of Cape Town, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, specializing in jazz studies.
Her musical background includes singing in many local jazz and non-jazz bands, namely, African Grooves, Medu and His Ensemble.
Her long-term goal is to revive the musical dream in others, to be a source of inspiration and hope and to pass on what she has learnt to others.
Millicent is our high note, in the sense that she has an eye-wateringly vast vocal range.
Mpumelelu
Saxophonist
A extraordinary talent from the dusty streets of Nyanga, Mpumulelu (which means Success, of course!) is a show stealer as he ripples through his delightful repertoire of sax riffs. Able to jam over any style, Mpumulelu has been seen tootling his brass in many places of the world and in Cape Town can be seen in venues from small, dark late-night jazz clubs to prestigious venues like the Artscape.
Mpumie, as we call him, joins us in his desire to be an inspiration for young musicians, encouraging them to choose a life of music rather than the unsavoury temptations of drugs and crime that the youth in South Africa’s townships are often exposed to. Respect Mpumie!
Noel Ross-Gillespie
Lead Guitarist
Having resurfaced after a long hiatus in the murky world of “real jobs”, Noel returns to the stage as a Token White Guy, adding his brand of rhythm and lead guitar to what he deemed was a great sound, but “just needed to be louder”.
He has never played with U2, Toto, Johnny Clegg, Coldplay, Bon Jovi, Miriam Makeba or Springbok Nude Girls, but has been very nearby when they have played.
Instead, he spent decades playing in various original bands, worship bands and cover bands, mastering the ability to “jam, colour and augment” with musicians, enjoying the process of creating “more than the sum of the parts”.
In his spare time, he occupies roles in ecommerce, logistics and technology, and can occasionally be found cooking, cycling or… taking long walks on the beach.
Ricky "Smooth Tones" Olkers
Trumpeter
Ricky hails from Gelvandale, Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape. At the age of 13, his brother gave him a cassette of trumpeter Phil Driscoll. He immediately fell in love with the sound of the instrument and decided to explore the rigorous journey, especially for the lips, of becoming a trumpeter.
He discovered how difficult playing the trumpet was, but thankfully, having leather-lips, he relentlessly continued to pursue that “sound”. (The trumpet. Not his lips.) He started performing with several brass bands, including becoming one of the founding members of the famous St George’s Brass Cricket Band.
Professionally, he is educated as an industrial engineer but continued making music throughout his life. His style of music ranges from gospel to jazz and even classical at times. While he is known for his virtuosity, Ricky’s dream is to one day perform musically on famous stages around the globe, sharing his passion with others who appreciate his gift and style of music. We hear you Ricky!
Trevor Fischer
Keyboardist
Pianist and composer Trevor Fischer was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He began playing his instrument at age 3 and was exposed to a variety of musical traditions as a child by his Dad, Abraham Fischer.
Born in 1971, he received his first Music Diploma in 1976 for having a good ear for Music 😊 at the creche he attended in Kalk Bay.
Fast Forward. To drop some names:
Travelled the world with Andrew Young a saxophonist from the UK, and played on many Musical Stages, including the Jazzathon stages, with Neville D, Mthunzi Namba from Joyous Celebration, Benjamin Dube along with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and many other artists from around the world. His main Band called “Witness”, which became well known in the gospel Arena, allowed them to win many Awards during their many years of existence.
In 2017 he had the opportunity to play with Selim Kagee and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at the new Silos District Hotel and was delighted to yet again be involved as the “Musical Director” for the amazing show called “love story” by Selim Kagee, which was hosted at the Artscape in March 2018.
His love for music allowed him to pursue his dream to teach at schools such as Reddam House Constantia, Herschel Girls and many local schools; it has always been his passion to give back to his community. He’s done this faithfully for the last 20+yrs and continues to this very day.
Today he’s happily married to his wife Shirley for the last 28years and has two very talented boys, named Matthew (see Drummer) and Michael.
Today By God’s grace, he’s a Full-time Music Director.
William "Wayawaya" Gets
Show Producer & Guitarist
William has a long history in the world of events, productions and music.
During the day, he runs a Marketing company called Brainstorm Strategic Marketing, managing digital marketing, advertising, design and events.
In the evenings you will find him sitting behind his guitar, trying out the latest lick or riff, and fiddling with his effects pedals.
He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar fairly well, keyboard … well, cajon with aplomb, has sung bass in many a choir in Europe and somewhere back in his history, the bag-pipes. Truth.
When he is not licking on his guitar, he spends whole weekends lost in the world of electronic music and his Cubase software; the interface of which he humbly likens to that of a boeing’s dashboard.
He has performed his trance music and installed décor in many a nightclub in Cape Town and a festival or two, and was invited by Derek The Bandit to open for him on stage on his Cape Town tour.
You can check out William’s dance/trance/chill/lounge music here, as long as you listen with headphones (he insists).
“Wayawaya” means “always on the go”.
