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A combination of the energy and vitality of youth and the wisdom and experience of the old would be the perfect combination. Wouldn’t it? Although they can be a bit of a pain in the a— (I call one of my maths group “The wild bunch”. They are post 16s. I feel drained after my class with them). But I love working with young people because of their energy and open mindedness. They are like new computers without the damage of time or rough usage. They only need the right program and competent users to get the best out of them. In a way they are both strong but vulnerable. Strong because of the absence of wear and tear and vulnerable because of their lack of experience and wisdom and their excess adrenaline. I belong to the old school, with the wisdom of time, experience and knowledge (which the young lacks). Imagine a combination of the two – youthful energy and aged wisdom. What a combination that would be! Continue reading →

I have taken the plunge to put fear aside and embrace music. The transition is going to be long, painful yet pleasant. Long because I have to make a careful transition into being a musician and I’m not exactly young anymore. Painful because there is bound to be negative criticism. But who cares? I am doing it this time for me! Pleasant because there is no feeling in the World greater than looking forward, on a Friday afternoon at work, to doing what I enjoy the most in a few hours time… composing, arranging and playing music! I stop short of saying that it’s better than sex. But it’s damn close, and besides I have to come home to my darling wife… Continue reading →

I get the most pleasure from music by listening to it rather than dancing for entertainment. I mean really listen to it. How the different instruments interact,, how the musicians communicate, The dynamic of human voice and instruments and  the artistry and beauty in  the music. I also enjoy how the vocals hamonise and blend with the sounds of the instruments. And finally the percussive components (different drums, symbols and other percussions and how they blend with the rest of the music is simply magic. As an African, the sound of the drums is more than just music. It is spiritual. The African drums, when played by and expert, enables me to transend the physical self. It is simply magic. Continue reading →

Music is me, I am music. I don’t mean just listening to music. No! Well that too, but listening is just a fraction of what music means to me. I live and breathe music every moment of my life. At work, with friends, in Church, at parties. While my friends are talking politics or blowing their own trumpets, or reminiscing I am thinking music, I am making music in my head or I am dancing. I bet some of my friends call me weird. I remember at one of our Boy’s Nights at Dez’ place one of my friends commented “Bunton you are always so silent and smiling…” What he meant was “Man, are you stupid or what, don’t you have anything to say?” What he doesn’t realise was at that very moment I was coming up with one of my hit tunes NOSTALGIA! Don’t get me wrong… I can engage in serious conversation and focus on work, family, solve complex problems and manage projects competently (how else could I have achieved university training, teach maths and IT to adults  or progressed in my various jobs)? but when I am not engaged in those boring things. I am music and music is me! Continue reading →

The Great Manu Dibango

Africa has some of the greatest music talents in the World! I do not say this lightly. Take a tour around the World of music: Jazz, Latin Rhythm and Blues, Traditional and contemporay African music and listen (really listen) and you’ll see (or hear) what I mean. The photograph on the left is that of the Father of Afro-Jazz, Manu Dibango (from Caneroon) who conquered The World of Jazz in the US of A. I believe that African music is the next bigh thing on the World music stage. Mirian Makeba, Osibisa, Paul Simon, Fela, Alpha Blondy, Continue reading →