Mzansi

This artist has a beautiful voice and style. African music is in a class of its own. I thoroughly enjoy listening and learning the lyrics.

Wouter Kellerman presents a shift in our musical ear and one that is most welcome. He is a highly regard flautist having won the 2011 SAMA (South African Music Award, equivalent to the American Grammy) for 'Best Instrumental Album', reinforcing his status as one of South Africa's foremost musicians. A true crossover artist, Kellerman thrives on experimenting with the shades, textures and colors that his magic flute is capable of painting, and creatively blending them with other instrumentation and vocal sounds. He started playing the flute at the age of ten, and in 1981 appeared as a soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra. He went on to feature in several South African orchestras, garnering numerous musical accolades along the way. Among these was winning the Perrenoud Foundation Prize during the 1997 Vienna International Music Competition. Using his classical training as a foundation, Kellerman focused his attention on world music, exploring the versatility of the flute and fusing classical and contemporary sounds, resulting in a potent and thrilling musical encounter. He is taking his crossover world music to a global audience, having gained a solid following in his native South Africa. As he has stated, `Mzansi represents the voices of my influences -- African and otherwise," he explains. "Being influenced by different styles and cultures, and working with musicians who bring their own energy to the project, make this a very varied album -- from traditional Sengalese songs to South African and Celtic influences.'The music contined in this collection has a thrill to it - an introduction to another culture yet fully grounded in the world of fine music. The ensemble consists of Wouter Kellerman, flutes (most often classical metal flutes), Erik Paliani, Juan-Pierre Oosthuizen, Paul Carlos, Lamine Sonko and Mauritz Lotz, guitars, Sibusiso Victor Masondo and Schalk Joubert, basses, Melissa van der Spuy and Wessel van Rensburg, pianos, Barry van Zyl, Kevin Gibson and David Klassen, drums, Godfrey Mgcina, Tlale Makhene and Ady Thioune, percussion, and Mfaniseni Ntlama, Eunice Harris, Lamine Sonko, Jolette Odendaal, David Matamela, vocals.The tracks are as follows:African HornpipesMalaikaKhokhoMama TembuCape FlatsAfter HoursN'Jarinu GarabFire DrillSamamiMzansiSylviaIn The MomentMiniambaThis is magical music for the ear, the heart, and the soul. Grady Harp, October 13

South African flutist Wouter Kellerman leads a wonderful assortment of fellow native musicians in this vibrant and engaging album.The collection features an infectious mix of vocal songs and instrumental tracks, brought to rhythmic life by amazing singers and players. Kellerman's unique flute melodies are embellished and fleshed out with guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums and percussion.My limited experience with African music (Stewart Copeland's The Rhythmatist, Paul Simon's Graceland, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Ladysmith Black Mambazo) has always been joyous and uplifting, and the work of Kellerman and his musical mates is no different.If you like the aforementioned albums and artists, or have had some taste of African music, you will really enjoy this CD.Wouter Kellerman is definitely an artist worthy of the world's stage.