Hennessy x Shepard Fairey

Aug 5, 2014 |

In 2010, Hennessy released the documentary The Art of Blending, shot by French director Thibaut De Longeville, which documented the Hennessy Artistry event that featured music artists like Chaka, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Mary J Blige, Bobby Brown and Eve, all backed by the legendary The Roots. At the time, I moaned incessantly to the then SA Brand Manager that I wasn’t invited to it. I did, however, get to experience a similar event in Joburg featuring music legends like Sipho ‘Hotstix” Mabuse as well as contemporary artists. They’ve also since held Artistry events in China, Barbados and Manila....

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Midweek Music – Delilah

Oct 24, 2012 |

British singer-songwriter Delilah's debut album From The Roots Up has very quickly become part of my regular music playing rotation. I got put onto her by a friend at Atlantic Records in London, when I was recently there. Born Paloma Ayana Stoecker, her influences range from Buena Vista Social Club and Nine Inch Nails to Chaka Khan, Portishead and Sade. Having started singing at an early age and signing with Atlantic at 17 (she is 22), she paid her dues working with drum & bass/dubstep duo Chase & Status as well as touring with one of my favourite artists right now, Maverick Sabre....

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Herbie Hancock’s Imagine

Jan 8, 2011 |

There are those albums that creep up on you. You press play without really expecting anything. You have heard nothing of it. There are no preconceived ideas of what it will sound like. There are no egos, no back story, no tabloid fodder that predisposses you to interacting with it positively or negatively. You go into it as a blank canvas for the musician to paint whatever they deem fit on you. It is - simply - about the music. Herbie Hancock's The Imagine Project is such an album. Herbie Hancock's career as musician started about 50 years - and over 40 albums - ago and, in that time, he has...

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