Local band reaches for the stars

TWO local talents joined forces more than 10 years ago, and recently their musical passion combined to form the easy-listening, adult contemporary group, Connecting Stars. The group also recently launched its exciting first album.

“I owned the studio at the time and Cheryl was doing vocals and needed a lift back home afterwards, I agreed to take her home but only if she would have coffee with me on the way there,” said Martin Engel, the guitarist, backing vocalist and manager of the group. “Somehow he was able to get me on that first date and a year later he wrangled me into marrying him,” laughed Cheryl Engel.

With years of experience in the music industry, Martin was a member of Tree63 and Cheryl did background vocals for various bands, it was only a matter of time until they pooled their knowledge. Two and a half years ago they formed Connecting Stars and on 26 August launched the first CD. “When playing music, coming up with a name is difficult but in the first song Cheryl wrote, Pieces, there was one line that grabbed our attention, connecting all our stars, and it just stuck for us. There are so many reasons behind it as well from connecting people through music to helping them reach their dreams,” said Martin.

The self-titled CD consists of 12 tracks, with Breathe being Cheryl’s ultimate favourite. “I wrote it when we were going though a difficult time with our son, Ethan. He was born with a twisted small intestine and went into surgery almost immediately after birth. He was often in and out of hospital and we just never knew if he was ever going to get better. Things started picking up and I then realised how short life could be and that I felt like I could finally just sit back and breathe a little bit,” said Cheryl. Ethan is now three years old.

When she became a mother, with her first child Grace (6), she was willing to give up her dream of performing but it was the music and singing that helped her, and Martin, get through the difficult times they faced as a family.

From performing on local stages and at fundraisers for various local charities, the duo recently travelled to the USA where they performed at four iconic venues in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and San Diego. “Our audiences and the managers at the venues liked our music so much that they have invited us back to perform at all four venues again,” said Cheryl. While abroad they launched their first single, Stuck, to American audiences, while back home, their first playlisted single is Pieces.

Connecting Stars will begin a national tour in October and will then embark on another tour to the States in November.

Their CD, Connecting Stars, is available for download on iTunes for R79.99 and a physical copy of the CD can be purchased directly from the group’s website at www.connectingstars.com for R100 (including shipping). Follow them on Twitter at Connecting_Star or like and subscribe to their Facebook and Youtube feeds at Connecting Stars Band.