Local brothers to perform in Orlando – watch them sing

FOR acoustic duo brothers and old Kempies, Rikus and Gihan van der Walt (23), there’s no stopping when it comes to performing on stage as Roxphere.

The brothers, who are two of triplets, performed in Margate last December as part of a talent scout by Summer Heat talent search and received a call back to the second round of auditions on October 2 at Silverstar Casino where they made it to the final showcase hosted by Applause Rising Talent Showcase (ARTS).

The showcase will be held in Orlando, Florida, USA, from July 25 to 31 next year, where Roxphere will have the opportunity to perform in front of the international panel of agents, record labels, casting directors and producers from Hollywood, Miami and New York City.

“This is an amazing opportunity not only for the purpose of being seen, but also to gain experience throughout this journey and making our music and attitude stronger,” said Rikus.

The duo has been known as Roxphere since July 2012 and their sound comprises of instruments such as guitar, tambourine and a kick drum.

“We would describe our genre of music as soulful indie pop/rock with a mix of R&B, but we have always experimented with different types of genres from classical to modern and original pieces as well,” added Gihan.

For Rikus and Gihan the best thing about being full-time musicians is being able to do what they love the most, living out their passion and performing for people who appreciate the industry. “The moment your passion becomes your lifestyle, your attitude changes. I can express myself to the fullest,” Rikus added. “The reaction of the crowd is what inspires us to be the best we can give,” said Gihan.

Roxphere also believes in a positive attitude and working hard to get to their goals of one day creating an international platform for themselves in the music industry. “We both write our own songs and we have about 20 songs at the moment, we just want to show the world that we have an absolute passion for what we do and we are just ourselves doing it,” Rikus added.

“Through time we have found our sound that suites both our voices and we are proud to say that we have grown so much in our music and ourselves that we are now more comfortable on and off stage, performing and networking, and we have grown into a musical lifestyle,” said Rikus.

The duo added that being brothers makes the music process a lot easier.

Roxphere has performed across the country on various occasions and have a few steady gigs in the Pretoria area every week.

“We try to keep our set lists fresh and like to add two new songs to every performance, but we have also learned to read the crowd and entertaining them with whatever the mood is,” said Rikus.

“We would also just like to thank our friends and family for all their support as well as our fans and say to those who want to achieve greatness in what they do, don’t give up, live your passion, be positive and know yourself before taking risks,” said the duo.

For Roxphere to achieve their dreams and goals a financial hurdle is in the way. The total amount needed for the duo to perform at the ARTS showcase is R 198 000. “We are humbly requesting some financial assistance, of any size, in order to get one step closer to reaching our goals and dreams.”

For any donations or sponsorships contact Rikus van der Walt at 072-818-1298 or email roxphere@gmail.com.

You can also follow their Facebook page and YouTube channel.