Brian Kramer Workshops & Festival in South Africa

Just returned from almost three weeks in
South Africa (Sept. 16^th till Oct. 4^th ) for a tour & series of workshops and my head is swimming! So many amazing experiences and connections in just a short span of time… Conducted a two day workshop in the underprivileged Township area of Potchefstroom with over 40 local musicians.These workshops (titled Empowerment through Music) are an initial step by the Dept. of Culture to bridge gaps between African/Africans with music and the first of its kind here. The response was great & I got to share experiences & music with some very bright, talented, young men and women who never get the chance to shine.We jammed together and went deep into the cause and effect of trying to make a difference with music, what holds one back, when to let go. Dozens of children from the poor township area where the workshops were held curiously gathered to see what was happening and joyfully danced to our improvised music!

Two tracks were recorded at the University’s studio for a promo CD using a local band headed by a stunning guitarist Medupi Mapitsa who attended the workshop as well as a few other fine artists. A pre-recorded track I did for this event (Cross Boundaries) with me & the great world/bluesman Taj Mahal was also included. We had six hours to record, mix, finalize details and get out to the manufacturer in order for it to be ready in time for the event! I then had the honour to present the final CD to the Mayor of Potchefstroom at a media event arranged during the festival.

Brian Kramer Band was invited for the 10 year anniversary as their first ever International act to grace the stages of Aardklop National Art & Culture Festival (3^rd largest is SA) & performed/jammed with some local Africans favorites; Sara Theron and Andries Botha. on the main stage. Also got to hang & jam with incredible local artists like Capetown’s DNA Strings. It was a real blast!

This was a great privilege for me to learn firsthand and experience a culture I have been dreaming of visiting for almost two decades and also use my music in a profound way. I feel as if I have been preparing my whole life for this. As an outsider I saw only the passion and intelligence of the young African people I got to meet and share experiences with. My natural response was to embrace these strengths that I perceived in them & they were very open and appreciative of just the simplicity of being treated as equals (which they are!).

Music is a precious gift to cut through the barriers and layers of the inequality I have witnessed and heard about that still lays just below the surface in South Africa. Music is color-blind and reaches far beyond the limitations and illusions that suppress, these were the tools I had to offer through my own experiences…

I will hopefully return in 2008 to continue the next phase of this project which will allow me to create more opportunities for some of these local artists to be heard.I already have a vision and a plan and with the help of the local community these small steps can serve a great purpose in providing one simple thing; Options.

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