Formed in 1993, Virtual Jazz Reality (VJR) comprises some of the most respected, versatile and experienced artists on the South African music scene. Collectively and/or individually, they have performed throughout Africa, the United Kingdom, America (New Orleans and New York), Far East, UAE (Dubai), Australia, Sweden, Denmark and elsewhere in Europe.

The band’s jazz repertoire includes over 100 original compositions (some of which have reached the top of the jazz charts) and all the popular jazz standards.

Virtual Jazz Reality in concert

The band has done numerous television and radio specials and has worked with artists such as Pavarotti, Jonathan Butler, Shirley Bassey, Liberace, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Bono, Anastasia, Shakatak, Latoya Jackson, Judith Sephuma (a former member of VJR) and Jimmy Dludlu.

Comprising Ian Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals), Andrew Ford (keyboards, drums and bass), Sammy Webber (bass and vocals) and Frank Paco (drums and vocals), VJR have impressive individual pedigrees as band leaders, studio musicians, music educators and performers.

Having played with numerous ensembles of his own creation including Concert Boulevard, Pound Seats, MJ-9, The Tony Schilder Quartet, Airborne and Inside Out, Ian Smith is one of the most sought after studio musicians. His prowess as a trumpet player has also earned him a place as a soloist for the UCT Big Band and for the CAPAB and CTSO orchestras. He was also one of the influential figures, along with Prof Mike Campbell, in the formation of the Cape Jazz Orchestra.

Andrew Ford has studied piano and percussion – both classical and jazz – for the past sixteen years and in 1980 began performing with the Richmond-Upon-Thames Youth Band in London. Despite having performed extensively with his own trios and groups (Inside Out), as well as being a regular with the CAPAB, CTSO and Cape Jazz Orchestra, his talents as a producer are extensive. His appointment as musical director for B&S Studios while at the same time running his own successful recording studio, the ‘Nuthouse’, bears tribute to this fact.

Sammy Webber has been playing bass from the age of 17 and started playing in his first band at the age of only 19. Since then he has played with the successful duo U-Turn with Tony Paulse and is also the bass player for Inside Out and MJ-9. He is increasingly in demand as a session musician and is considered a vital contributor by the members of VJR.

Self-taught musician, Frank Paco, started playing drums at the age of 16 whilst living in Mozambique. He has performed with Zairian-born French singing sensation Papa Wemba, South African renowned vocalist Miriam Makeba and has toured with Afrojazz band Sakhile. More recently he featured on the FNB and Gold album by Jimmy Dludlu, “Echoes From The Past”.
The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre. The tickets cost R40 per adult and R10 for scholars and the price includes entrance to the Reserve. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. Discounted season tickets are available at the Information Centre. Parking is available inside the Reserve.
Bring your blankets and chairs, your friends and refreshments and come and enjoy the entertainment.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre. The tickets cost R40 per adult and R10 for scholars and the price includes entrance to the Reserve. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. Discounted season tickets are available at the Information Centre. Parking is available inside the Reserve.

Bring your blankets and chairs, your friends and refreshments and come and enjoy the entertainment.
Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

Shiraz perform in the Reserve - January 2009

Three members of Shiraz might be better remembered as the chart-topping family group from the UK, The Dooleys. Anne and Rob Walsh and Helen Dooley were members of the original Dooleys who came to South Africa in 1982. Here Terry Weyer teamed up with them and soon their combined talents were winning awards for musicals.

Helen is on keyboards, Terry on lead/rhythm guitar and Rob on bass guitar. Lead vocals usually falls to Anne, but all four members contribute giving Shiraz a varied repertoire of popular music from the 60’s to the present. As an added treat this year, they will be joined on stage by some talented friends and family from the UK.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre. The tickets cost R40 per adult and R10 for scholars and the price includes entrance to the Reserve. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. Discounted season tickets are available at the Information Centre. Parking is available inside the Reserve.

Bring your blankets and chairs, your friends and refreshments and come and enjoy the entertainment.
Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

Local Oompah band, Wurstzipfel, will open the 2012 leg of the Helderberg Nature Reserve’s Sunset Concerts on 8 January 2012 at 17:30.  The Concerts are presented by the Friends of the Helderberg Nature Reserve and Fleur du Cap.

Wurstzipfel’s music is a unique mixture of skiffle, rock, blues and oompah sounds. Playing to loud acclaim both locally and abroad since 2005, Wurstzipfel comprises Rainer Augustin, Willi Gfröhrer, Mark Augustin and Dave Ridgeway.

Wurstzipfel - Dave Ridgeway (double bass), Mark Augustin (drums, vocals), Rainer Augustin (vocals, electric ukulele, rythm section, kazoo trumpet), Willi Gfröhrer (accordion, kazoo trumpet).

Truly innovative and entertaining, the band members employ hands and feet to release their unique sound from their instruments – of which some are even home made.

Rainer Augustin plays bass drum with his feet while fingering the electric ukulele. He also plays the  mouth harp, kazoo trumpet and talking box. Willi Gfröhrer also uses his feet to play tambourine, is a master with his piano accordion and also plays the kazoo trumpet. Mark Augustin plays drums, percussion and kazoo trumpet. Dave Ridgeway plays double bass and kazoo trumpet.

Wurstzipfel has entertained audiences at various festivals around the country and has held concerts in New York, Paris, London and Berlin.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre. The tickets cost R40 per adult and R10 for scholars and the price includes entrance to the Reserve. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. Discounted season tickets are available at the Information Centre. Parking is available inside the Reserve.

Bring your blankets and chairs, your friends and refreshments and come and enjoy the entertainment.
Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

With members as young as 13, the band was formed in August 2008 as a developmental initiative to help vulnerable youth from high schools in Leiden, Rosendal and Voorbrug outside Cape Town. Under the directorship of renowned jazz trumpeter Ian Smith, the Delft Big Band has been stealing the show at major jazz events both locally and internationally.

The band has performed to high acclaim at numerous events, including the Sekunjalo Edujazz and the Cape Town Big Band Festival at the Baxter where they received standing ovations. They also performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in April 2010 and the Youth Jazz Festival at Artscape in 2011.

Delft Big Band at Artscape Youth Jazz Festival 2011

In March this year, six members of the band performed to rapturous applause in Sweden at the 11th World’s Children’s Prize, awarded annually to those who have made a difference to children’s rights. Previous winners have been Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel.

Ian Smith recently received an award from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Western Cape for his contribution to the Performing Arts in Music, with special mention of his contribution to the Delft Big Band.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre. The tickets cost R40 per adult and R10 for scholars and the price includes entrance to the Reserve. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. Discounted season tickets are available at the Information Centre. Parking is available inside the Reserve.

Bring your blankets and chairs, your friends and refreshments and come and enjoy the entertainment.
Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

In the 90s they were known as South Africa’s hardest working blues band. Criss-crossing the country in trucks laden with musical equipment, they played hundreds of gigs at festivals, in bars and in nightclubs. However, the tragic death of drummer Frank Frost in 1999 was a blow from which the band struggled to recover and in 2003 they put on a final farewell gig in Stellenbosch.

Now, snappily attired in their trademark black suits and dark glasses, they’re ready to roll again. The Blues Broers are back in circulation. The band is currently recording a new album, Out of the Blue, due for release in November this year.

Catch the legendary Blues Broers in action on 27 November 2011 at 17:30 in the Reserve

The Blues Broers pride themselves on producing an exceptionally fine, versatile and diverse live show. New drummer Tim Rankin brings his considerable experience to the rhythm section and Rob Nagel (fondly known as Big Bob or Harpdog Bob) deftly juggles bass, harmonica and tea chest. The impeccable Albert Frost performs on a classic selection of electric and acoustic guitars whilst in a corner of the stage, keyboard player Simon Orange hammers it out for the crowd.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre. The tickets cost R40 per adult and R10 for scholars and the price includes entrance to the Reserve. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. Discounted season tickets are available at the Information Centre. Parking is available inside the Reserve.

Bring your blankets and chairs, your friends and refreshments and come and enjoy the entertainment.
Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

Fronted by singer/songwriter Steve Louw who formed the band in 1990, Big Sky is one of South Africa’s foremost rock bands with a unique sound influenced by rock ‘n roll, blues, country, folk and indigenous Southern African styles. With hit singles such as Waiting for the Dawn, One Cut with a Knife and Mr Green under their belt, the band has released a string of successful albums, including Waiting for the Dawn, Going Down with Mr Green, Horizon, Beyond the Blue and Trancas Canyon.

The group, who won an FNB Music Award for ‘Best SA Rock Act’ in 1996, has performed at major venues all over South Africa.

Big Sky

With Louw backed by Willem Möller (guitar), Simon Orange (keyboards), Jacques Steyn (bass), Tim Rankin (drums) and Rob ‘‘Big Bob’’ Nagel (blues harp), the band’s show includes an acoustic ‘‘unplugged’’ set, featuring a song cycle inspired by San mythology and the desert landscapes of the Northern Cape and Namibia, as well as a rocking electric set.

Don’t miss this opportunity to catch this great local band in action. Bring your picnic, arrive early and enjoy the last concert of the season.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or the Information Centre in the Reserve. The tickets cost R30 per adult and R10 for scholars. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. The proceeds of the concerts are used to support environmental education projects at the Reserve.

Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

The Graham Gillot Band comprises some of South Africa’s top musicians – Graham Gillot, Duncan Combe and Jeane Combe and they combine catchy original vocal songs with virtuosic instrumental music.

Classic original rock songs (a mix in the style of John Mayer, U2, Foo Fighters, Goo Goo Dolls and Bon Jovi) with vocals to match, are performed by the talented guitarist Graham Gillot together with outstanding support from the rhythm section of Duncan Combe on bass and Jeane Combe on drums. The band’s repertoire is not limited to rock and you can expect some blues, Spanish Flamenco, African or even Irish tunes, demonstrating the band’s versatility.

The Graham Gillot Band

Graham accomplished a study record by obtaining Grade 8 Classical Guitar with Merit in only two years of study through Trinity College, London. In the UK, Graham performed at the Bournemouth Music Festival as well as the International London Meula. He then went on to play for various bands, including the Jesse Jordan Band. He also sessioned for DNA Strings and even played for Rodriquez.

Duncan has a B. Mus majoring in Clarinet from Stellenbosch University. He is a music teacher at Parel Vallei High School in Somerset West, developing ensembles which focus on Rock, Jazz and Drumline. His other forte is corporate team building with Djembe drums and instrument building workshops, offering businessmen and women a taste of the wonderful world of music. Duncan is a master instrumentalist playing more than eight instruments including banjo, sax, clarinet, bass, keyboard and guitar.

Jeane is an accomplished pianist, drummer and percussionist, with Grade 8 in these instruments. Following in her father’s music footsteps, she teaches full time. In the Helderberg basin Jeane plays extensively for musical shows and on the corporate scene she facilitates Djembe drumming sessions.

Bring your blankets and chairs, your friends and refreshments and come and enjoy the entertainment.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre in the Reserve. The cost is R30 per adult and R10 for scholars. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. Parking is available inside the Reserve. The proceeds of the concerts are used to support environmental education projects at the Reserve.

Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

Formed in 1993, Virtual Jazz Reality (VJR.) comprises some of the most respected, versatile and experienced artists on the South African music scene. Collectively and/or individually, they have performed throughout Africa, the United Kingdom, America (New Orleans, New York), Far East UAE (Dubai), Australia, Sweden, Denmark and elsewhere in Europe.

The band’s jazz repertoire includes over 100 original compositions (some of which have reached the top of the jazz charts) and all the popular jazz standards.

The band has done numerous television and radio specials and has worked with artists such as Pavarotti, Jonathan Butler, Shirley Bassey, Liberace, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Bono, Anastasia, Shakatak, Latoya Jackson, Judith Sephuma (a former member of VJR) and Jimmy Dludlu.

Comprising Ian Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals), Andrew Ford (keyboards, drums and bass), Sammy Webber (bass and vocals) and Frank Paco (drums and vocals), VJR have impressive individual pedigrees as band leaders, studio musicians, music educators and performers.

Sammy Webber and Ian Smith from Virtual Jazz Reality

Having played with numerous ensembles of his own creation including Concert Boulevard, Pound Seats, MJ-9, The Tony Schilder Quartet, Airborne and Inside Out, Ian Smith is one of the most sought after studio musicians. His prowess as a trumpet player has also earned him a place as a soloist for the UCT Big Band and for the CAPAB and CTSO orchestras. He was also one of the influential figures, along with Prof Mike Campbell, in the formation of the Cape Jazz Orchestra.

Andrew Ford has studied piano and percussion – both classical and jazz -  for the past sixteen years and in 1980 began performing with the Richmond-Upon-Thames Youth Band in London. Despite having performed extensively with his own trios and groups (Inside Out), as well as being a regular with the CAPAB, CTSO and Cape Jazz Orchestra, his talents as a producer are extensive. His appointment as musical director for B&S Studios while at the same time running his own successful recording studio, the ‘Nuthouse’, bears tribute to this fact.

Sammy Webber has been playing bass from the impressionable age of 17 and started playing in his first band at the age of only 19. Since then he has played with the successful duo U-Turn with Tony Paulse and is also the bass player for Inside Out and MJ-9. As news of his ability begins to spread he is increasingly in demand as a session musician and is considered a vital contributor by the members of VJR.

Self-taught musician, Frank Paco, started playing drums at the age of 16 whilst living in Mozambique. He has performed with Zairian born French singing sensation Papa Wemba, South African renowned vocalist Miriam Makeba and has toured with Afrojazz band Sakhile. More recently he featured on the FNB and Gold album by Jimmy Dludlu, “Echoes From The Past” and is currently studying music at the UCT College of Music.

On Sunday they will be joined by up-and-coming talent, Adelia Douw, singer for the Delft Big Band, another of Ian Smith’s successful projects.

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate or at the Information Centre in the Reserve. The cost is R30 per adult and R10 for scholars. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. The proceeds of the concerts are used to support environmental education projects at the Reserve.

Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

Three members of Shiraz might be better remembered as the chart-topping family group from the UK, The Dooleys. Anne and Rob Walsh and Helen Dooley were members of the original Dooleys who came to South Africa in 1982. Here Terry Weyer teamed up with them and soon their combined talents were winning awards for musicals.

Helen is on keyboards, Terry on lead/rhythm guitar and Rob on bass guitar. Lead vocals usually falls to Anne, but all four members contribute giving Shiraz a varied repertoire of popular music from the 60’s to the present. As an added treat this year, they will be joined on stage by some talented friends and family from the UK and South Africa.

Be sure to be there, and be there early. Do bring your picnic and blankets or chairs and enjoy an evening of song in unsurpassed natural surroundings with the Friends of the Helderberg.

Shiraz perform in the Reserve - January 2009

The concert starts at 17:30 and tickets can be bought at the gate. The cost is R30 per adult and R10 for scholars. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. The proceeds of the concerts are used to support environmental education projects at the Reserve.

Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.

The band’s music has delighted audiences across the country as well as in Europe and America. Featuring Zimbabwean born singer/songwriter Verity and top musicians Tony Paco from Moçambique on drums, Nelson Malela from Congo on keyboards, Al du Toit from South Africa on guitar and Helder Gonzaga from Moçambique on bass, their pop/rock music has a distinctive African flavour and they deliver shows that celebrate life, love and this rich, beautiful continent.

Hello Africa

With 4000 copies of their debut album already sold independently in 25 countries, Hello Africa was a popular choice for the Cape Town fan parks during the 2010 World Cup.

Verity wrote her first song at the age of 20. She has lived and performed in Cape Town, Miami and Nashville. She writes all the lyrics and melodies for Hello Africa.

Tony Paco started drumming in his teens. With a jazz degree from UCT and many years of performing with bands like Freshly Ground and Flat Stanley, Tony is regarded as one of the best drummers in SA.

Nelson Malela was born in Congo and started playing piano at an early age. He was spotted by Brenda Fassie and invited to come to South Africa and play in her band. Shortly after he arrived she passed away, but Nelson stayed on and has played with the best of the best in SA. Nelson brings infectious energy to every show with his Congolese flavoured piano lines.

Helder Gonzaga on bass has played with Tucan Tucan for many years as well as various local and international bands and alongside legends like Jimmy Dludlu and saxophonist Moreira Chonguica. He has a jazz degree from UCT.

Al du Toit is the newest member in the band and is finishing a music degree at UCT. He started playing guitar at age 13 and performing gigs from age 15. Al is a proficient jazz and rock guitarist, and playing with Hello Africa has introduced him to the world of afro-flavoured guitar licks.

Please join us on the lawns of our lovely Reserve this Sunday. As in the past the concert starts at 5.30pm and tickets will be on sale at the gate for R30 for adults and R10 for scholars. There is no admission fee for children under the age of five. The proceeds of the concerts are used to support environmental education projects at the Reserve.

Please call the Information Centre for more information.
For contact details refer to the Information column to the right of the page.