Fund a Busker
The Cape Town Festival with Ariva Arts Foundation created the Beyond Busking project to empower buskers through a training and mentorship program that includes vocal training, stage presence master classes, songwriting course, musical arrangement, and in-studio production.
The Cape Town Festival kicked off the Beyond Busking Project with auditions at the Castle of Good Hope on the 15th of June 2022.
Six (6) buskers were selected to enter into a program of transformation through songwriting course, musical arrangement in the studio, recording original material, master classes in stage presence, vocal training, and exposure to radio and media.
SELECTED BUSKERS
Morne Holland
Morne is a singer-songwriter, who is an accomplished guitar player and pianist. He was born and raised in Elsie’s River, Cape Town. He began performing music at the age of 18 and developed his musicality from playing in many bands in and around the City as well as in Europe (Turkey and Greece). He has worked with some of the big names in the music industry like Alistair Isobel, PJ Powers, and Lukeman Adams.
Thando Feni
Luthando ‘Thando” Feni hails from Gugulethu, Cape Town. He is a drummer, marimba player, vocalist, traditional dancer, and actor. He began performing in 2008 with Vulindlela Arts Development and has worked with iKapa Dance Theatre where he was influenced by contemporary dance. He started the OneHearts group which became known for its fusion of music dance and poetry. He performed with Sipho Hot Stix Mabuse, The Beaten Burg, and Micasa. He is involved in youth empowerment work in his community.
Zanele “Zanie” Mdloyi
Zanie is a songwriter and recording vocalist from Khayelitsha. She grew up listening to rap but found her passion in the gospel and R & B. She developed her music in competitions, and talent shows. She has worked with back – up singer Mthunzi Namba and reggae artist Mavo Mavericks. Even though she has been recording her music since 2008, 2022 has given us her first single “Higher”. Her vision is to use her music experience to help upcoming artists in her community.
Abraham Van Der Berg
Abraham started busking in South America while traveling with his charango, a Bolivian ukulele with 10 strings. When he returned to South Africa he continued busking at the Cape Town Waterfront doing his Hulamonichango act where he would play charango and harmonica while hula hooping. Abe is determined to make learning to play the ukulele and other musical instruments a fun and engaging experience.
Henry Jeane
Henry Jeane used to busk at Simonstown Waterfront where he has performed for local and international tourists daily. He is a multi-talented artist and multi-instrumentalist. He plays a wide range of African instruments like Amakhondero Horns, Venda chikona reed pipes Marimbas, and Kundi Harp. He has performed both locally and internationally with great success.
Machawe Ndlovu
Machawe Ndlovu is originally from Swaziland. His interest in busking developed for the first time when he and his friend busked on the train to perform in Cape Town from Johannesburg. He learned to play guitar, bass, and piano, and his guitar playing raised his popularity as a busker in Simonstown where he currently lives.
BACKGROUND
A busker or busking, or as they are more commonly known–street performers–entertain crowds with their musical performance, art, and unusual and comedic acts for tips in public areas. Busking has a long history stretching back to our earliest societies. There were buskers in Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, and India. From Medieval French troubadours to modern Mexican mariachi, buskers have been performing in public spaces since public spaces were invented. Busking predates the theater and has outlived the CD. It is, historically, the single most common expression of the human spirit: a viable, honorable, and traditional way of making a living.
The goal of the Beyond Busking project is to ultimately uplift the image of busking in South Africa to international standards and create international work opportunities for local buskers. The beyond Busking Project is supported by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports, The Castle of Good Hope, and Rootspring Music.
To listen to our Executive Chairperson Yusuf Ganief’s interview on CapeTalk’s Weekend Breakfast with Sara-Jayne King about the Beyond Busking Project click here.
FUNDING REQUIRED AND BENEFITS
The beyond busking skills and development program is comprised of vocal training and stage presence, songwriting course, equipment upgrade, looping, musical arrangement, and/or in-house recording. The total breakdown of the cost for the full program is as follows.
- Sound equipment (looping pedal, sound mixer, mic and mic stand, speakers, and cables): R12 000
- Equipment training and master classes: R 6000
- Songwriting course and music production: R 6000
- Stage presence and vocal training: R 6000
- Song composition, arrangement, and production R20 000
The total cost for the program is R 50 000 per busker.
Please support the buskers by clicking on the donation tab below: