10 Grooves Every South African Drummer Should Know
Too many modern South African drummers focus entirely on sounding like drummers from overseas. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to sound like Virgil Donati or Steve Gadd, it is important to remember your routes.
This drum workshop aims to demonstrate some truly African rhythms and styles to give your drumming a local flavour. Local is Lekker after all.
Interest in African grooves is on the rise internationally. To illustrate this, just look at the international popularity of Beatenberg, Freshly Ground and Matthew Mole, to name a few.
To that end, Andre will demonstrate some unique African styles. He will teach you the finer points on:
- Ghoema (x2)
- Mbaqanga
- Maskanda (x2)
- Traditional Gospel
- Marabenta/Afro-Mambo
- Kwela
- Vastrap/Koortjies
- Soukous (aka Kwasa Kwasa)
In order to ensure that you get the full experience of each of these styles, Andre will be accompanied by a live bass player.
Everyone who attends will also be given a groove chart so that they can read along as Andre plays. This will ensure that you get a thorough understanding as possible.
Once the demonstration is over, Andre will open the floor up for a Questions and Answers period.
WHEN & WHERE
11 am, Saturday 8 October
Paul Bothner Music Claremont
Shop PO 01, Stadium on Main
Corner Central & Hawthorne Road
Claremont, Cape Town
GPS: -33.979239,18.466151
Andre Swartz Biography
Andre started playing the drums when he was 12 years old. His is influenced by a large variety of styles. These include Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Fusion, progressive rock, heavy metal, Traditional music( world), Funk, Soul, Afro-Latin.
Andre is passionate about music education. He is the head of COPA in Cape Town. But he doesn’t just teach music. He is actively involved with the development of music education. “I believe learning is what keeps the world a place of wonder and amazement and keeps the mind young. ” – Andre Swartz
He was taught by John Hargreaves ( taught me paradiddles), Frank Mallows, Efrain Torro
Andre has Played with UCT Big Band, National Youth Jazz band, National Youth Big band, Bokani Dyers, Amanda Tiffin, Seventh Son, Sarah Theron, Sonja Heroldt, Hot Water, Dax Butler, Tristan Weitkamp (USA)
