Sun El Musician’s hits to get an orchestral touch

It has always been Sun El Musician’s dream to do his music with a live orchestra and Bassline Live at Lyric on Friday 2 September is set to make this a reality.

An orchestra conducted by a woman who is a first

Not only does the Bassline Live at Lyric theatre lineup have amazing artists such as Msaki, Simmy and more, it also features the first black South African woman to conduct and own an all-black orchestra,Ofentse Pitse.

She believes this show is important because it is “work that requires immense collaboration, particularly through a music ensemble which can lose traction because of its intense economic requirements. Classical and choral music is then deeply affected as a result, leaving musicians who spend hours on end refining and mastering their craft, not easily employable.” Through this collaboration she’s “using popular culture to popularize ensembled musical expressions such as these, creating value and demand for such art experiences.” She adds that this is critical for creating a sustainable ecosystem that will improve the economic health of ensembled music.

An unlikely combination

The program is part of the The Music In Africa Live project which is supported by The German Federal Foreign Office, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe Institut. It is also done in conjunction with artists service company Platoon.

“The team at Bassline are bravely bringing together dance music and the world of orchestra. This unlikely combination has us very excited not to miss it,” enthuses Violet Maila of Music in Africa.

“Bassline thanks Music In Africa Foundation grant for supporting the live music industry ecosystem, by awarding proceeds to support this project. We are so excited to be presenting this collaboration at a time where we are back to full houses for the first time in 2 and a half years. What a way to celebrate!” says Brad Holmes, Bassline Founder.

Tickets available from Computicket from R250.