Interview: Shane Cooper

© Michael Ellis - snapkamera.com

I am truly grateful that I have been blessed to meet some of South Africa's finest musicians and Shane Cooper is certainly on the top of that list. Bass player, composer and producer, Shane, is definitely someone to watch in the South African music industry. He has recorded with many other well-known South African musicians including Melanie Scholtz, Kyle Shepherd, Bokani Dyer, Rus Nerwich, Zim Ngqawana and Dan Shout (to name a few). He was a member of the Indian fusion quartet 'Babu' and South African quintet 'Restless Natives' (both were based in Cape Town).

After watching Shane play numerous times at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, it was then no surprise to learn that he was selected as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz in 2013. I have not heard any other player make a double bass sing like he does, and when he plays his solo's you will involuntarily sit up and watch his every move. Being at the Grahamstown jazz festival specifically, you are inundated with jazz music (obviously that's the point) for almost a full week, it's easy for a person to become overwhelmed and for their ears to get 'tired'. But every time Shane plays, it is almost as if the audience is awakened by his tone and style, then entranced and taken on a musical journey of the story he is 'telling'.

Thankfully those of us living in Cape Town are privileged to see him play at venues such as www.thecryptjazz.com and Straight No Chaser Club  and occasionally the Nassau Centre.


Check out what Shane had to say about wining the Standard Bank Jazz Young Artist award (2013).

Shane's debut album 'Oscillations' recently won a SAMA (South African Music Award) for best album. It features many other brilliant South African musicians and was co-produced by Carlo Mombelli and Shane himself. You can purchase the album through this link: https://itunes.apple.com/za/album/oscillations or Look & Listen Stores or http://www.homegrownmusic.co.za/artists/view/shane-cooper/

Shane receiving his SAMA - City Press

Click this link to get to know more about Shane and his music: www.shanecoopermusic.com. 
Check out this awesome article on Shane ins Rolling Stone SA: http://www.rollingstone.co.za/albumsrev/520-shane-cooper
Also read this review on Shane here: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/oscillations-shane-cooper.
Shane also released a triple album with Restless Natives in 2013. You can get hold of it by going to this link: www.homegrownmusic.co.za/restless-natives.

A man of many talents, Shane also writes and performs electronic dance music check it out here: www.cardonspokes.com
Follow Shane on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cardonspokes

If you are following my blog, then you will already know that I have been trying to get an understanding of what is 'Behind the Music'.  I am asking musicians about what they have to say about their career's, especially within the context of the South African music industry. 

This is what Shane had to say in answer to my questions:

When and how did you start playing your instrument/s?

I started playing piano when I was very young, and eventually switched to guitar.  When I started high school I was asked to play bass in the school jazz band so I started learning to play bass for fun.  I developed a love for the instrument very quickly and it became my main musical focus after that.

Did you have any formal training, and if so where?

I studied jazz performance at UCT.

What inspired you to take up your art form as a career?

Playing music became my favourite hobby when I was still in school, so I decided to try make it a career.

What does your current career entail? (Can you give an idea of a day in your life?)

It's a mixture of practising my instrument and practising with bands, composing music, recording / producing, playing shows, and doing lots of boring admin stuff too.

How did you (and do you) approach being in the music industry in South Africa?

It's very difficult in South Africa because we don't have a lot of venues to perform in, and we only have a few big cities that we can tour to.  Also travelling within the continent is very expensive, so we are limited in terms of performance options.  As a result we have to work hard at trying to get international exposure so that we can get gigs abroad and keep performing as often as possible.

What do you most enjoy about your career?

 I get to make music everyday, it's the best!

If you could, what would you change about the music industry?

I wish we could still make money from selling records in the digital age.  That money goes back into making more albums, but it's very difficult to have that cycle running these days. I'd also like people to be more willing to pay proper cover charges for live shows.  In 2014 I still see people complaining about paying R40 to watch a live band, which is crazy.  I also wish music equipment was cheaper in SA, most products are almost double the price they are in Europe and the USA.

Do you enjoy what you do now? 

I'm loving it.

What are your plans for your future?

I'm writing new music at the moment, and also producing tracks for some singers.

Disclaimer: Please note that non of the images in this post belong to me and they have been credited as far as possible.

Interview: Lwanda Gogwana

photo by Moeti Moumakoe

It has been a dream of mine to, not only write reviews of South African musicians and their music, but get a bit of a 'behind-the-scenes' look of how they view their own careers. Especially within the context of the South African music industry. There are so many questions to ask, but I thought I would keep it simple. 

Lwanda Gogwana was kind enough to answer some of my questions. If you have been living under a rock for the last few years and you don't yet know about this burning trumpeter, composer, arranger and producer, then do yourself (and the world) a favour and go here http://lwanda.co.za/biog.html and here:

(See also http://www.africanjazz.info/music2012)

Then, share the love and tell a friend! Because you are missing out on what Lwanda has given to the world. Not only has he recorded his own album, The Lwanda Gogwana Songbook, and thus been nominated for a few SAMA’s, but he has performed at great venues and festivals (including the Cape Town Jazz Festival) in and around South Africa and overseas. Lwanda has also performed with the likes of Jimmy Dludlu, Steve Dyer, Moreira Chonguica, Ezra Ngcukana, Errol Dyers, Tete Mbambisa, Robbie Jansen, Bruce Cassidy, John Fedchock, Judith Sephuma, Goldfish’s Sakhile Moleshe, Bokani Dyer and Marcus Wyatt (to name a few). He is brilliant at what he does, but he also has a heart for paying it forward. Lwanda is down-to-earth and very involved in his community. He loves sharing his passion of music with those around him and is part of an organization, RYTHM (reaching youth through music) that promotes South African music to the youth. 

Keep up to date with Lwanda's gigs on Twitter here: @lwandagogwana
Or on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/LwandaGogwanaMusic

This is what Lwanda had to say:

What do you think?

When and how did you start playing your instrument/singing?

I started by singing along to my parent’s music in the car, then I started singing in the school choir. I later took up the piano and then the trumpet.

Did you have any formal training, and if so where?

My formal training started at school, at Cambridge Prep School. Then Cambridge Junior, then Stirling High School and my tertiary training was at UCT.

What inspired you to take up your art form as a career?

I can’t remember anything specific that inspired me, but I think if, anything it, was just loving the sounds of music around me...then, when I saw others do it at school, I wanted to join too.

What does your current career entail? (Can you give an idea of a day in your life?)

Nowadays my typical day includes anything from teaching music, recording in studio, practicing, performing and touring with different artists including my own band.

How did you (and do you) approach being in the music industry in South Africa?

South Africa is blessed to be very diverse in culture and this inevitably influences the music of this country to be very diverse - so I try to take advantage of that by collaborating and working with as many different artists to make a good example of a rainbow nation inspired musician, lol.

What do you most enjoy about your career?

I’m not quite sure what I like the most about my career - I'm still trying to figure that out. I'm always involved in anything that comes my way - and enjoy most of it.

If you could, what would you change about the music industry?

I would like for all musicians to know about their opportunities - because there are many, especially in rural areas, who are extremely talented but are clueless about SAMRO and other bodies designed to assist artists. Also I would like to see a stronger presence of indigenous South African culture through the music we export to the world.

Do you enjoy what you do now? Is it what you expected it to be?

I enjoy what I do, but it is not what I expected.

What are your plans for your future?

My plan for the future is to help future musicians, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, to launch their careers and give them guidance. And to be actively involved in the promotion of indigenous South African music.