NIBS VAN DER SPUY
Nibs van der Spuy’s spellbinding acoustic guitar style was first taken notice of, with his band, Landscape Prayers, performing live and on their four highly acclaimed Acoustic/Instrumental albums, between 1993 - 2003. His diversity as a songwriter, singer and finger stylist, reached a broader audience with the release of his solo albums; 'Lines on my face'(1999) and 'Flower in the rain'(2002). Both these acoustic gems were nominated in the best instrumental category at the South African Music Awards.
Nibs' versatility to cross pollinate various musical styles, from, African, Classical, Celtic, World, Maskanda, Indian and folk can be fully appreciated on his first International release, 'Beautiful Feet'(2007). It has received rave reviews from the London Guardian to the Sydney Herald, and in May 2007, was album of the month in 4 major German publications. This has been accompanied by intensive touring across the globe with a highlight being the prestigious East Coast Blues & Roots festival in Byron Bay, Australia. Here Nibs shared the stage with such luminaries as Ben Harper, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Bela Fleck and Piers Faccini.
Besides his own solo career, Nibs got to record a beautiful duo album, 'Sweet-Thorn'(2004) with Mozambican, Gito Baloi and 'Hadeda'(2004) with drummer extraordinaire, Barry van Zyl, from Johnny Clegg's band. He has also got to perform and record with folk Legend, Shawn Phillips and Italian band, the Modena City Ramblers. Mostly touring as a soloist, Nibs also plays across the globe with his young virtuoso guitarist/multi instrumentalist friend Guy Buttery. In 2008, Nibs has already toured South Africa and France with Piers Faccini and has just finished recording his International follow up to 'Beautiful Feet', 'A Bird in the Hand'. This will be released in September and promises to spread Nibs to larger audience around the world. He has just returned from a second tour of France where he was pick of the prestigious Rocheford en Accord festival reviewed by the Le Monde (France’s leading newspaper).
Nibs will be performing for Maestro Guitars in the upcoming Musikmesse 2009 (1st - 4th April 2009). There will be performances at their booth Hall 3.1 C67 for all 4 days as well as on the Acoustic Stage (Hall 3, level Via, Room Facette) on Thursday, 2nd April 2009, 12.00 p.m. to 12.30 p.m. Maestro Guitars is proud to have Nibs van der Spuy on board as their most recent Ambassador. Below are some of the reviews of him.
REVIEWS:
“With A Bird in the Hand, Nibs van der Spuy may well have succeeded in creating a future classic of the genre.”
JAZZTHETIK Germany 5stars
“A discovery, the South African Nibs van der Spuy who originates from Durban. His guitar playing with classical touches and Zulu melodies and his thrilling airy voice is a Folk Rock from elsewhere.”
Le Monde France 23 August 2008
“Spare simplicity and the sheer radiance of his playing is done to heart rendering effect"
Uncut Jan 2008
"This understated folk borrow from Mali's guitars and the mbaqanga tones loved by Paul Simon a time ago. The ghost of Nick Drake floats upon the whole album, the similarity in the guitar playing, melodies and especially the voice tone, soft as an embrace, is disturbing."
Les Inrocks (FRANCE), Johana Seban, 18 Dec 2007
"Beautiful feet" offers pure compositions in which Nick Drake's ghost rubs shoulders with Tablas and harmonium echoes and the evocation of mutations current in Africa. With his voice as a murmur, Nibs drones out his memories, softly, like a bearer of good news".
Vibrations Music (FRANCE), Oct 2007
"This South African singer intended first to become a stringed instrument maker, and when we listen to his songs, it's a bit as we watched him in his workshop shaping by hand a beautiful wood instrument."
France Inter, Cyril Sauvageot, 23 Jan
"Forget your pre-conceived ideas of South African music. If you like a bit of Nick Drake or Richard Thompson, with A little GRACELAND, search out this album and give it a go. You will be very pleasantly surprised."
4/5 Birmingham Post
“This gentle, thoughtful set mixes quiet, sturdy melodies with low-key vocals and influences, from British folk baroque to a dash of India and reggae. There is even a drifting, piano and viola-backed treatment of Nick Drake's Road. Instrumental Jukskei bursts with township vitality, but for the most part the mood is low-key, tuneful melancholia, with several songs paying tribute to his friend, the late Gito Baloi, a Mozambican singer who can be heard on the gentle, bluesy bonus track Mountain Wind."
The Guardian – London
"Beautiful Feet is a showcase of Nibs' skills as a musician and lyricist. Some songs will give you goose bumps and make you want to cry – others will warm your blood with their subtle Latin rhythms. Do yourself a favour, buy this album. It really is special."
Rebecca Khan SL Magazine
"The album as a whole is really brilliant. It's rich and warm, filled with genuine sentiments and honesty, all brilliantly delivered in a masterful way by a truly gifted musician"
Matthew Christensen (5 out of 5) www.mio.co.za
"An extraordinary album where the singing recalls very early Cat Stevens. i.e. Mona Bone Jakon), where the musicianship of both van der Spuy and young guitarist Guy Buttery is reminiscent of Davey Graham and Bert Jansch, where there are moments of pure, idyllic
1960's innocence and where the lyrics are full of peace and love and hope for the harmony of the world. This is the third album of van der Spuy, a South African. He might be about 40 years too late to catch the first hippie wave, but the sound he makes and the sentiments he expresses are still remarkably beautiful, touching and gloriously optimistic."
Bruce Elder
The Sydney Morning Herald
"Van Der Spuy masterfully evokes the sense-soaked experience of living in South Africa's Kwa-Zulu Natal province in particular and South Africa in general, on his latest release that once again confirms his status as a songwriter and performer of substance. But even though songs like 'Hiding in the Sugar Cane', and 'Jukskei' locate Van Der Spuy on African soil, this is folk music at its most far-reaching - the set of songs on 'Beautiful Feet' will float easily into the lives of a global audience, drawn in by the distinct acoustic melodies, sparse production, subtle influences (African roots, Eastern) and emotion-laden stories. Certainly, this is a terrific recording that no fan of music at its most unaffected should miss out on."
Diane Coetzer
Billboard
“Nibs van der Spuy is something like the South African Ben Harper. He made a name for himself with his band Landscape Prayers. As an instrumentalist he effortlessly mixes, Blues, Reggae, Folk, Pop and a bit of Indian music. What forms the bulk of these songs is the gentle voice which reminds of Ben Harper. Musically, van der Spuy acts almost reserved to put his virtuosic playing in the centre, but rather the song. So what distinguishes the album is its rather relaxed, peaceful atmosphere and exciting musical display."
Amazon, Web, Tontrager, Germany
“It will be a shame not to know Nibs van der Spuy on his great album, "Beautiful Feet". One will discover a brilliant acoustic/slide guitarist with a restrained voice who writes soft and warm songs, as well as instrumentals that partly refer to British Folk Roots (like Richard Thompson) or acoustic songs of the Allman Brothers Band. He sings with Nick Drake's soft melancholy seriousness and Cat Steven's pop – like sensitivity. These collections of songs represent a natural sound culture that leaves every instrument its authentic timbre in a homogeneous sound, and pictures details clearly. It is an ideal combination of artistic inspiration and musical brilliance."
Audio Live, Germany
"I just discovered: Nibs van der Spuy, a South African guitar player and singer. His CD "Beautiful Feet" has just been released in Germany and was presented on Bayern 2 radio on Pentecost Monday. I was driving, on my way back from an old friend's wedding, everyone in the car was a little sleepy and it was raining cats and dogs on the motorway. And then this wonderful music came from the car stereo, a rough, but endearing voice, a filigree acoustic guitar, which sometimes sounds like folk, or jazz and always wonderfully playful, and the whole world plays along on ethnic instruments of all kinds: "Nibs who? What's the spelling? Spy? Nipps? A few days later, I discovered via allmusic.com how the new and better Jack Johnson is spelled correctly, and: Amazon sells the CD already. Now I'm sitting at home and listen to an album, of which today I am already sure that it'll accompany me for a long time. As if an old friend has returned and plays the guitar while it's raining...". 5 stars
Amazon, Germany
Customer Review
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