Music of old reborn at Casterbridge

WHITE RIVER – Classic rock with an unmistakably unique African flair took center stage this weekend at the Casterbridge Music Development Academy (CMDA). Three local bands were showcased at a sponsors evening at the venue on Saturday evening. Included in the lineup were last year’s newcomers Vital Crew who had the audience on their feet with their rendition of contemporary pop chart hits like “Patla Patla”.

The aim of the evening was to not only highlight the astounding progress made by these young musicians through the work at the CMDA, but also to inform sponsiors and investors in the programme of its development and future plans.

Co-founder of the CMDA, Mike Matthews, presented a unique and completely free educational software package aptly named 2Enable. A CMDA dreamchild, the software is based on scientifically proven methods that directly link music with educational subjects such as math and science.

“We have started rolling out the programme at seven schools in the Kabokweni area and with the help of Dell, who donated 25 computers to the programme, have started employing and training teachers to present 2Enable to the learners,” explained Sonja Caldecott, CMDA Programme Manager.

Another impressive artist working at a future in the industry is the young songbird, Lara Gear, who heads the rock outfit Apple Finger. Gear was selected by Parlatones frontman, Khan, in July this year to record a single with him at his Cape Town studio. The, as yet unreleased, single is entitled Tiger Tiger and would be a huge step into the local scene for the young lady.

Arguably the highlight of the evening was the Jimi Hendrix inspired Siphelele “Soap” Mkhabela and his band Café Wha? who burst onto the stage as the headline act. Mkhabela is an extraordinary frontman. He boasts a vocal range comparable to legends the likes of Prince and a young Michael Jackson with a musicality that evokes a sense of mysticism as he plays his Fender Squire Stratocaster as though it were an extension of his very being.

With a perfectly balanced rythm section adding drive to not only the cover tracks but their own compositions too, Café Wha presented an all-in-all well rounded outfit.

“It is our hope that through the CMDA, young talent such as those that were on display, will have the platforms needed to develop not only their music side, but their personalities as a whole. We hope that the progress showcased here will inspire the community to get involved in the programme and help reach many other promising young people in our area.”