‘Folkify’ is back to delight fans with golden greats

Port Elizabeth musician Kevin Abraham is bringing back his extremely popular Folkify! show tomorrow and on Saturday at the Music Kitchen in Newton Park.

This time there is a family twist to the live acoustic concert as the guitarist, singer and songwriter will have his son Rain Abraham as a special guest.

“We are ready. We’ve rehearsed, we’ve sweated, we’ve got sore fingers . . . now we play,” said Kevin ahead of the shows.

Abraham senior has been performing for a lifetime on instruments ranging from the ukulele to the acoustic guitar.

As a young adult, he became involved in the iconic Four Winds Folk Club, a Port Elizabeth institution which has nurtured many excellent players over the years, and it was here that he began to develop his strong finger-picking and signature vocal style.

His style is uncomplicated and unaffected and Folkify is an introduction to his interpretation of a range of pop and rock songs reimagined within his style of folk music.

After its sold-out season last year, Folkify returns to Port Elizabeth with what Abraham says is a little of the old stuff, lots of new stuff, and a show that has been hailed for its distinctive approach to live acoustic music.

Abraham once more collaborates with Kristo Zondagh and David Kyd to achieve a distinctive blend of vocals, percussion, guitar and violin, presenting songs uniquely re-imagined for their powerful acoustic performances.
Since his first “gig” singing at the age of three, Zondagh has had music pulsing through his veins and he has played in musicals, rock and jazz bands, and school orchestras since primary school.

The drum teacher brings his brand of fiery percussion to the show, while Kyd, the youngest of the trio, brings flair on the violin.

The former mixologist and bartender also teaches music.

Although the trio have created a show of mainly original works, there are plenty of familiar songs to enjoy, too. From The Boxer to Through the Air Tonight, audiences can expect tunes from the golden ages of rock and folk, plus an introduction to many of Folkify’s original songs.

Abraham sees the Folkify shows as appealing to mature audiences.

He describes them as a “sit-down-and-listen” kind of a show, with a recognition of the values of the great songs that came out of the 1970s and ’80s.

That thread is continued with a series of self- penned, original songs.

This adds up, however, to a show which all ages can enjoy.

Tickets are R110 and the show starts at 8pm. For table bookings contact Ian on 066-200-2765.