‘HA! Maaaaan, that was great!’
GRAZE by the River came to life on Tuesday when sensational composer and inspiring cellist the Ha!Man stopped in town.
In between two showers of rain at the outdoor concert, this artist’s love of performance led him to persevere and play the sounds of his own soul.
In an elegant garden at the back of the beautiful Graze by the read the news.
Q: What is your motto in life?
A: It is better to be late than never show up.
Q: What makes you happy?
A: Basically learning – learning new things. And music.
Q: What makes you angry? A: Being lied to. Q: What do you think about the youth of South Africa? Do you have any advice for them?
A: The youth of South River, spirits were high and the atmosphere most welcoming.
Tables were set and already occupied by laughter and conversation while a solitary Ha!Man set up to take everybody on a guided tour of his musically genius mind.
Ha!Man, born Francois le Roux, played to a full house at the local restaurant. A man of few words, Ha!Man is a musical conduit of the post-everything era, playing an uplifting musical score to literature which is still to be written.
Of him, one can simply say that here is an artist who has figured himself out, and thus generated a most unique sound which successfully fuses together an array of instrumental collaborations.
“In the beginning it was alien, I was nowhere,” Ha!Man shared of himself. “When I decided to improvise, leave classical music, I was entirely on my own.
“I played on the streets, and at a mall in Cape Town,” he said. “I played on the cello, and people threw Africa have a bright future. If only they would take education as a measure to creating their future. My advice is to focus on whatever you know best – not just education.
Q: What do you like most about Port Alfred?
A: It’s a small community full of tourist sights and a wonderful display of culture.
Q: If you could change one thing about Port Alfred . . .
A: Fair distribution of assets and power.
Q: What is your favourite music of all time?
A: Ghanaian music. My favourite artist is Daddy Lumba, and my favourite song of his is called Menseida – it means “will never back down to failure”. Q: Name three people you would like to invite for dinner (dead or alive)?
A: My dad, my mom and my wife.
Q: Three wishes for South Africa?
A: That there is unity; much more education; and a divine favour upon the country – because without God, no country
succeeds. money and it’s how I survived for a couple of years.”
There were two showers of rain – one just before his first set, and the second just moments after the performance of
the most beautiful gift a son could ever make for a mother and one which was shared with an audience filled with appreciation.
“Why do I play anywhere?” Ha!Man replied. “Networking, word of mouth; it’s communicating – making colours with sound. It’s also infusing space. While I’m making sounds, I keep in mind the actual space around me.
“I focus the sound in such a way that it fills a space,” he said. “It’s a bit like imagining myself being the audience.”
Indeed Ha!Man was the audience. On stage, one sees a person enjoying themselves in expressing the beauty on the inside for lovers of beauty on the outside.