Song Night’s Stars

Martha Mukaiwa

As beautiful as her ballads and hailing from the same seaside town, Sade Paulse is in possession of a voice so haunting, each of her first notes grow goosebumps matched only by those prompted by the earthshaking expression which blesses Christopher Grant.

Though they don’t know it yet, seasoned singer, Lize Ehlers, and theatre producer Sandy Rudd are working on a way to change their lives.

The debut of Song Night is two months away and after they cut their teeth over backtracks; they will graduate to singing along with a full band and each will look back from an assortment of high profile gigs thinking: “Song Night. That’s where it all started.”

Sean, Sade and Percy were there at the beginning.

Lize Ehlers heard their voices in auditions, welcomed them to what was heralded as Spoken Word for singers and all three astonished an audience that had come ready to say a trite “well done” after what they believed would be no more than glorified karaoke.

They were wrong. Mostly.

Some singers came and left, never graduating from backtracks but quenching a desire to sing on stage before disappearing into their day jobs never to return. Or perhaps to sit enviously in the audience.

The three stayed. They elevated the evening to what it was always meant to be. A developmental stage for bankable, bookable artists like themselves and Christopher Grant.

Christopher the Grand who stepped onto the stage three months later and showed them all that beyond consummate singing ... there is showmanship.

To get to the present day, there is a montage of Percy performing at just about every 2011 Song Night while growing into his good looks and shaking off a youthful self consciousness to blossom in 2012 in his opening for Selaelo Selota and Lira at the Windhoek Jazz Festival. Garnering major kudos at Last Band Standing, Acoustic Friday and World Music Day alongside his band Chillin’ in the Park and then headlining retro jazz show ‘Music and Notes’ with Song Night brethren Sean Kamati just last month.

“Song Night is a great place to get familiar with performing with a live band and to be a little experimental,” says Rinquest. “It’s a really intimate stage where you can meet fellow singers, network but most importantly, as a new artist, you get to know yourself. Coming from Walvis Bay, Song Night gave me the opportunity to make friends and industry connections while bettering my craft.”

For Christopher Grant unlike the currently Walvis Bay-based Percy, Song Night is still as regular as the standing ovations he receives after every performance. Having performed in almost every Song Night for the last two years, Chris now boasts a loyal set of screaming fans, a NAMA nomination for Lize Ehlers’ collaboration ‘Universal Language’, corporate gigs for prestigious firms like Olthalver and List and FNB and has also performed at Mojos, Paguel and a smattering of weddings.

“Song Night has definitely helped me to grow musically and vocally,” says Chris. “My advice to anyone wanting to use Song Night as a launching pad is that they should focus on what they are taught at the rehearsals, practise their music, invite as many people as they can to come and support them when they perform and finally work hard at everything in order to keep on performing.”

After Sade first brought the Playhouse to a standstill with her rendition of Lauryn Hill’s ‘Turn Your Lights Down Low’, the young soprano performed at every single Song Night until she moved back to the coast.

This means she performed about 19 times while also singing at the Afro Pop Jazz carnival alongside Lize Ehlers, booking various corporate functions recommended by Sandy Rudd and has most recently jumped voice first into Trustco Star Performer, where she is proud to be in the Top 100 and banking on being in the Top 25.

“Ever since Song Night, I’ve been getting a lot of recognition for my talent, my voice, and I’ve gained excellent performing skills,” says Sade. “Before Song Night, I never had the guts to stand up and sing in front of an audience but now my fear of the stage has melted away completely! I have learned that, it’s not even about who’s voice is better, but how all the unique voices I’ve heard so far tell their own story.

Young singers can definitely make use of the Song Night stage to showcase and expose themselves, I think the organisers have built a great set up for new singers to get recognised, and build their own name.”

As for Sean Kamati, his performance portfolio is practically public record. 2013 NAMA nominee for his debut original song ‘Smiling’, dance and singing appearances at the Old Mutual Jazz Encounter, countless corporate gigs, headlining Acoustic Friday, play listed on Namibian and South African radio and fresh off the stage of Percy Rinquest collaboration ‘Music and Notes’.

“I doubt that I would have been singing if it was not for Song Night and mostly Lize Ehlers. Song Night opened up many doors for me music-wise and provided a platform for me to be heard,” says Sean.

“I am now under management because my manager saw me performing there so I really urge budding musicians to be stage hungry. That is the only way you can gain the experience and confidence to better your art. Do take the advice of those guiding you and remember to challenge yourself. You will never know what you can do until you try. I am a product of that philosophy. Grab hold of the Song Night opportunity with both hands and a microphone.”

A word from Lize Ehlers, the lyricist, who dreamed up the kind of development that made it all possible: “I feel excited by Sade, Chris, Sean and Percy to name but a few. SN is a grassroots platform to urge vocal and instrumental development. And it gives me great satisfaction when a Song Nighter, rehearses their repertoire, moulds their craft and can secure bookings and actually be a paid entertainer on a professional level.”

Getting paid and putting in the work, Sade Paulse is currently rehearsing for Trustco Star Performer after being the musical guest at Wednesday’s Spoken Word, Sean is taking a break after ‘Music and Notes’ and gearing up for another Acoustic Wednesday, Christopher is just as determined to crack the Top 25 in Trustco Star Performer while preparing to make his debut in South Africa and Percy is in studio in Cape Town working on some highly anticipated original tracks.

Not bad for a gang of glorified karaoke kings and a queen.

Catch Song Night’s ‘Dance Songs - Move Your Mind and Your Body’ edition on August 28 at the Warehouse Theatre and then, if you sing, kickstart your own career by auditioning every first Thursday of the month to get hip to the hustle of becoming a Song Night star.

– marth__vader on Twitter martha@namibian.com.