“Learning to play the guitar was just a new thing to do. As a teenager, it was nice to do something else because school was such a bore.”
Guitarist and composer Derek Gripper, who combines the techniques of classical guitar with the imagery and mystery of the Western Cape rural areas, performs in Grahamstown tomorrow.
“Learning to play the guitar was just a new thing to do. As a teenager, it was nice to do something else because school was such a bore.”
Guitarist and composer Derek Gripper, who combines the techniques of classical guitar with the imagery and mystery of the Western Cape rural areas, performs in Grahamstown tomorrow.
He has performed in many European countries over the past ten years but talked to Grocott’s Mail from Cape Town, while lying in bed with a bowl of soup.
“I started playing the violin when I was very young, and only started with the guitar when I was about 15. I guess it was the independence of it.
You can play the guitar on your own, while I found that with the violin, you often needed accompaniment.
“I have been working for the last ten or so years to find a way of transforming how I was taught to play guitar so-called ‘classical’ guitar into a simple music that reflects how I feel about where I live.
This was a huge challenge at first, but it’s really easy now. I keep playing more tunes and the music unfolds without any struggle or complications.”
After studying classical music for 13 years, Gripper needed more. This search for musical inspiration took him to India, where he studied South Indian Carnatic music.
On returning to South Africa, he met up with Cape jazz trumpeter Alex van Heerden and found a new direction in music.
“My music is very different. It has similarities to global music, but also uses African forms. There is also a lot of improvisation.”
Gripper’s instrument is a Hauser, a guitar with “a mixture of German perfection and Spanish emotion”. Gripper was recognised internationally when he began playing at festivals as a student.
“Last year I performed at four tours in Europe and I recently toured with two guitarists from the UK.” He paused to put down his soup bowl. “At the moment I want to stay in South Africa.
The travelling doesn’t really agree with me, and I need to play here more. I mean, I’ve hardly played in Johannesburg. And the appreciation in South Africa is great.
I live in a country where I can take nothing for granted.” Gripper has released nine albums since 2002, and while some may prefer producing music behind the glass screens of a music studio, he enjoys playing in front of a live audience.
“It’s nice to communicate with people. Sometimes people seem scared of you which can be kind of off-putting, but I usually manage to win them over by telling them stories about my music.
And the size of the audience is always a total lottery. It’s usually a few hundred, but sometimes it’s only five!” Despite the demanding career of a performing musician, Gripper still devotes time to family.
“My wife and I have four kids, the eldest of which is eight. They all play instruments such as the violin, piano, and a little bit of guitar.
We home school them, so there is a lot of time for music.” Gripper will hold a free music workshop tomorrow at 4pm in the Beethoven Room of the Rhodes Music Department, and perform at 7.30pm in the same venue.
Tickets (R50) are available at the Music Department or at the door. He is looking forward to the performance. “I like to be spontaneous. I’ve never played in Grahamstown outside the Festival, so it should be interesting.”
