Ek Hoor Jou

PRODUKTBESCHREIBUNGEN
The name Philip de Villiers may not ring a bell yet, but if you live in South Africa and listen to Afrikaans radio, fly SAA or watch MK89, you will definitely be familiar with this singer from Cape Town's versatile voice. Mynie Grové, veteran South African songwriter and Idols judge, described him in 2002 as 'cutting edge. New blood. New angle. Not a copycat.' An accurate testimonial. His debut album "Ek hoor jou" was released in 2006, to much critical acclaim. "Oozes charm and musical sensitivity," [Odyssey]; "A sophisticated artist and product," [Die Burger]; "An exciting debut. Powerful voice and strong lyrics." [INSIG]; and "Thank heavens not another Kurt Darren." [Pretoria Eastern]. The album is currently playlisted on more than 30 radio stations. He grabbed the nation's attention with his first music video for his social commentary-song 'Vorie TV.' The video was named one of the best videos of 2006 by DKNT on kykNET. He is about to follow it up by the breath-taking anti-crime video of the emotional title-track 'Ek hoor jou,' which was originally written for his late father, Pieter de Villiers. The video was shot on the peak of the Swartberg mountains near Prince Albert, a few kilometres away from where most of the material for 'Ek hoor jou' was written in a little Karoo cottage in 2005. 'The videos for the album have been the most fun, and the most trying. The director, Andre Calitz, doesn't know mercy - he is a bit like a local Lars von Trier (director of Bjork's "Dancer in the dark"). With 'Vorie TV' he pushed us over the limit - sprinting through the streets of downtown Joburg and a busy shopping mall - with a body double behind me with a real TV screwed on his head! I don't know how Coenie (the body double) managed to breathe through the mesh-screen.' The video for 'Ek hoor jou' also had it's challenges: 'We were shooting on the highest peak of the Swartberg mountains, with an icy gale force wind blowing from the East, and the December sun blazing from above. Andre insisted that we use reflector boards at 15h00 in the afternoon. They are like those old metal tanning devices from the 50's, except the hole in the ozone layer has grown 50 times bigger. I felt like I was being skinned alive. I even burnt up my nostrils from the light reflected from below. My face was puffed up for days." Growing up in a family of keen amateur musicians, he learnt to play the piano and the piano accordion at his mother's knee. His first taste of public performance came when he began playing the accordion in the streets of Cape Town to earn pocket money during high school holidays. In 1992, aged 16, he won R10 000 in the national Ithuba songwriting competition. He used his prize money to fund a three-month trip to Europe and the US, playing "boeremusiek" on the streets of London and New Orleans. After returning to Cape Town, he landed the lead role in his high school's version of the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. "It was a dream come true, even though my best friend told me I can't sing." Philip proved him wrong, and became such a good singer, that he is today one of the busiest voice trainers in the country. His voice training academy, Vivacious Voice, is expanding rapidly. "It's a lot of fun training other singers. I love taking those first scary baby-steps with them. I remember how frightening it was for me." He also runs a songwriting course, The Songwriter's Toolkit, which aims to balance the business and creative aspects of the craft. Through the South African Songwriter's Circle, which he founded in 2003, he tries to reach out to historically disadvantaged communities. "With the rampant crime in our country, I believe we can make a difference if we can give the disadvantaged a platform to express themselves. All criminals are doing is 'acting out' their anger. If they can turn it to good use, we can turn around this country." Philip is currently working on his second album, which is due for release early 2008, provisionally titled "Onkunde."

Number of Discs: 1

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