DRIES Laas of Amanzimtoti has made his hometown proud after his recent win in an international instrumentalists competition.

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He took part in the Diatonic Accordion Festival (DAF) where he scored the highest points in the concertina category, taking first place. He placed second overall, all other categories included. The DAF sees free-reed instrumentalists from around the world enter in different categories to display their abilities. The last two competitions have been held online because of Covid-19. The full-time instrumentalist said it gave him a good feeling to know that he won an international competition.

“I am happy about the win and I am already looking forward to taking part again in the next one,” he said.

The Kingsway High School alumnus said his aim is to inspire the youth enough to make them learn the accordion and the concertina.

“The number of concertina and accordion players has been declining lately. We need more young people to learn these instruments,” said Dries.

He has been playing the concertina for 25 years, having been taught by his father when he was 10. He has also been playing the piano for 23 years.

“Music is a great stress reliever. When I’m not feeling good, I play the piano and I feel better afterward.”

Dries holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and he offers music lessons. He is also the provincial representative of the South Africa Free Reed Association (SAFRA KZN).  

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