Guy Buttery to rock Bay concert
When acclaimed guitarist Guy Buttery made history as the youngest South African Music Awards nominee at the age of 18 in 2002, it was the first achievement of many to follow.
The KwaZulu-Natal native’s career has skyrocketed since then, earning him numerous awards, performances at international stages and festivals, and collaborations with fellow musical legends Dan Patlansky, Nibs van der Spuy and Vusi Mahlasela.
Following his most recent record-breaking accomplishment – the Standard Bank Young Artist Award commonly won by classical musicians – Buttery is treating the Eastern Cape to a five-show tour from Tuesday.
Q: In which part of KwaZulu-Natal were you born and where are you based now?
A: I’ve moved around KZN quite a bit but I’ve always been predominantly on the North Coast. I’m all over the place a lot of the time, but when I am not doing concerts I am back in the province.
Q: You grew up surrounded by music. At what point did you decide you would make a career out of it?
A: I think it evolved quite organically in many ways; I was basically doing concerts on the weekends in high school and I ended up getting more bookings and it just grew and happened like that.
Q: At the age of 18, you made history as the youngest Sama nominee for your debut album, When I Grow Up. Would you say that was a sign you would climb higher from there or did you not take it that seriously?
A: I probably did not take it that seriously at the time because I find the idea of music competitions unusual. I believe music is something personal to be enjoyed and interpreted differently, so putting it on some kind of competitive level probably never really made sense to me then and now.
Q: You’ve been on countless stages and collaborated with big names. Is there a highlight of your career that you would like to share?
A: Generally working with other people and communicating this universal language in a non-vocal form is always a beautiful experience.
Q: You recently won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award. How did you receive the news and how does it feel to be the “exception to the rule”?
A: I certainly was not expecting it because it has been awarded to classical musicians since before I was even born. But [the change] speaks volumes for the award and the committee itself that they are honouring musicians outside of the classical world.
Q: Your last album, Guy Buttery, was released two years ago. What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am busy with a project with Indian classical vocalist Kanada Narahari that we are taking on the road.
Q:What can your fans expect from this tour?
A: I will be bringing a few new things and a few old things. Every night is going to be different but I am hoping to bring some fresh energy to all the shows.
Buttery will perform at:
- East London’s Legends Showcase Exclusive Venue at 7pm on Tuesday, March 27. Entry is R100. Contact (043) 721-2794 or e-mail admin@legendsshowcase.co.za;
- Grahamstown’s Fountain Foyer, Monument Building at 7pm on Wednesday, March 28. Tickets are R90 and R70 for students on WebTickets;
- Port Elizabeth’s Art On Target at 7.30pm on Thursday, March 29. Tickets are R100. Contact (041) 373-3334, 083-728-5295 or e-mail info@artwork.co.za;
- Knysna’s Montessori School Theatre (with Tony Cox) on Friday, March 30 at 8.15pm. Tickets are R150. Contact 076-822-7779.
- Plettenberg Bay’s White House (with Tony Cox) at 8pm next Saturday, March 31. Tickets are R180. Contact (044) 533-2010.