September 6, 2006
By Ndaba Dlamini
UK DUO Mattafix, known for their hit song Big City Life, are heading for South Africa where they will perform alongside one of the country's top hip-hop musicians and up-and-coming artists in Newtown.
Mattafix – Marlon Roudette and Preetesh Hirji – will be belting out a concoction of rock, hip hop, reggae and house in a show billed as one of the highlights of the annual Johannesburg Arts Alive International Festival on Saturday, 8 September at the Marquee at Mary Fitzgerald Square.
The duo will be joined on stage by South Africa's own hip-hop group Hip Hop Panstula (HHP), guitarist Farryl Purkiss and DJ Bob, for the 5FM and Arts Alive-sponsored show.
The two musicians come from opposite ends of the spectrum, one brought up in the tropical idyll of St Vincent, in the Caribbean, and the other in the rough and tumble of London's Harrow Road. Yet they turn these appropriately different influences to their advantage by bringing all points in between into their song writing.
Mattafix means "no problem", an expression from the island of St Vincent.
Blues, jazz, bangra, punk, roots reggae, hip-hop, pop, calypso, heavy metal, classic soul … you name it, it's all filtered in a multi-culti hurly-burly mixture of music.
Marlon and Preetesh's songs are a blues narrative that begins with Marlon's notebook of poetry that documents his life, his thoughts and his hopes and leave the audience to their own interpretation.
HHP is led by Jabulani Tsambo, a native of Mmabatho in the North West. No newcomer to the music scene, HHP broke on to the South African music arena in 1997 when he and his school friends formed the group Verbal Assassins and later met with the renowned producer Chicco Twala who produced their debut Party.
Mattafix, derived from a Caribbean expression "matter fixed", means "no problem"
Soon after the group split, Tsambo met singer and producer Issac Mthethwa who then worked full-swing on his second album, Introduction. HHP's style of music is a fusion of hip-hop with kwaito influences. His latest offering YBA 2 NW delivers seriously funky grooves destined to send crowds grooving.
HHP is winner of several awards including a South African Music Award nomination for Best Newcomer and Favourite Male Artist at the Star In You Kids Awards.
Born and raised on the north coast of KwaZulu/Natal, Farryl Purkiss has been playing and writing music for the past 11 years. Growing up learning skills and techniques passed down from friends who shared the same love affair with guitars, he started recording in October 2004 and his album Chapter One was released in April 2005.
The "session" musicians Purkiss used for the drum and bass in recording his album have become his full-time band and they have been travelling around the country playing at festivals and events.
DJ Bob will be spinning the vinyls at the show, starting at 8.30pm. Entrance is R100 and tickets are available at Computicket or at the door.
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