Verity's Blog

James Bond 'Carte Blanche' - an unexpected mention...

When I set off in my career on a road to wanting to share my music with the world, I could never have imagined the twists and turns that journey would bring. So much of my experience has been unexpected and miraculous while a lot of it has required sheer determination and gritting my teeth when I've wanted to give up. I've ended up touring the country speaking on innnovation and training people in how to apply Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats and I've sung in Opera halls and Townships. My story has been shared on numerous documentaries and my business model of 'selling an album that didn't exist' was rated #25 in the HSBC 'Top 100 Business Ideas' magazine in the UK. I've also gone through months of nothing much happening at all and shows with poor attendance - all part of being a musician - the ups and the downs. It has been a rollercoaster to say the least!

So imagine my suprise when a friend reading the new James Bond novel 'Carte Blanche' by best selling author Jeffery Deaver, stumbled across these lines on page 244 “From the speakers in the ceiling, the harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the inspirational songs of the Cape Town singer Verity provided an appealing soundtrack to the evening"! 

I was blown away and more than a little confused, because even with a small amount success as home I would never have imagined an author of his calibre being familiar with my music. After emailing him to say thank you and satisfy my curiosity as to how I've made it into a James Bond novel, it turns out he's caught a few of my shows over the years. It just goes to show that you never know who's listening and when opportunities might arise from seeds you planted years ago.

Since news got out about the mention I've been approached by a top music publisher and if we sign a deal he will looking to get my music included in the film if and when the book turns into a script. Jeffery Deaver has also offered to put in a word for me if the opportunity arises!  So here I sit, on the brink of recording another album yet still reaping fruit from my first one and feeling very grateful indeed.

I may get to be a Bond Girl yet : )

 

Hello Hamba HIV!

On Tuesday 29th March I found myself with the Hamba HIV team getting ready to do our first ever show to a huge corporate audience! The lead up to the day was pretty intense - with hours of Craig Ross producing backing tracks for all the songs we would sing, Selwyn Shandel making sure everything was in order with the client, me writing the scripted voiceovers and designing posters and banners and Vuyo working round the clock to get it all ready. On the day we found ourselves on the 7th floor parking lot of an office block which we managed to transform into a hip, urban set for the show.  We were sponsored kickass banners by Swift Displays and they took the set to a whole new level!

Well over 100 people streamed in and the response we got was incredible! It was wonderful to see the impact that the songs, our message and the whole show had on everyone. Such a powerful start to what promises to be an evolving and seriously successful campaign to use music to educate people about HIV and what they can do to prevent and treat it! Watch this space...

 

 

Exciting new project

At the beginning of this year I met with the team at Indigi Productions to work on their new website for them. Of course you cant really put 4 musicians in a room together and expect them to only talk about the site, and with a few minutes I realised I have met some wonderfully alike musical souls.

The result is that while I am finishing up their website design I have spent many more hours in the studio putting tracks together with producers Craig Ross and Selwyn Shandel and working on a concept for an amazing HIV Awareness Show with fellow artists Vuyo. HAMBA HIV is all about bringing music and motivational education together. It is about original songs that speak the issues around HIV being presented in a kick-ass show that leaves people inspired, uplifted and above all informed.

I have been able to bring my writing skills to the party and have written 7 links for the show that we spent last weekend recording and they sound incredible! My songs 'Never Too Late' and 'Shine' are part of the program and together with Vuyo, singer Galatia and fitness coach Joe we are looking forward to our first big show next week for a major corparate.

If all goes well we will be rolling out to thousands of employees around the country who desparately need motivation to make choices around HIV that keep them safe. If all goes well, HAMBA HIV is going to the catch phrase on every South Africans lips! 

  

Over 600 people turned out to support our show at Helderberg Nature Reserve at the beginning of Jan which made for a very special show! The proceeds of the concert are going towards them building an educational centre at the reserve, so it felt great to have our music give back!  www.hello-africa.co.za

  

    

Introducing LUCKY PACKET DESIGNS...

In October last year out of sheer frustration with quotes for having a new website designed for the band, I decided to try my hand at some design of my own. The result was our site for HELLO-AFRICA and I have to say I am pretty pleased with it! The amazing thing was that as people started visiting the site they wanted to know if I could design them one as well and before I knew it I had a number of  sites being developed.

I have designed 9 websites so far and have a few more in development including INDIGI PRODUCTIONS and RED CELLO EVENTS. I am focusing on providing affordable websites to small businesses, artists and individuals and am calling my new baby Lucky Packet Designs.

My clients so far include: 

• KAYOS - casting directors
• CATHAY INDUSTRIES - paint & pigments
• YEARN2LEARN - study courses for teens
• ATHENA CAPITAL - corporate investment advisory business
• ANTARCTICA ADVENTURE - SANAE50 team in Antarctica for 2011
• CODA SOUTH AFRICA - co-dependents anonymous SA
• INGRID KINGON - Small Business Sales Coach
• RENEE SHEARING - occupational therapist specialising in addiction.

I am really loving stretching my creative wings and love that this is an extension of all my years in internet marketing of my music.

If you need help with a new site, you can contact me on design@iamverity.com or visit www.luckypacketdesigns.co.za

   

The making of 'Swimming Upstream'

I had a great time being involved in this photographic exploration of the artistic journey. Check it out...

Swimming Upstream - making of from kathalijne van zutphen on Vimeo.

Reaching for another dream...

Last Tuesday 16th Nov we made our way through to Selwyn Shandels Indigi studios in Seapoint to spend the day with Anle who I have written a song 'My Favourite Things' for. It has been a very slow project in coming together, as I first met Anle and her mum Annie back in January and somehow the year has run away from us. A few months back Selwyn and I laid down the track and sent it through to Anle to learn and on Tuesday she got to experience being a recording artist for the first time in her life!

She arrived dressed all in pink and very nervous about being in a studio. We had to make sure that we kept things really simple and not too intimidating for her, and she and I sat in the studio together pulling faces and making silly noises to get her relaxed. Selwyn was a legend as always - opening his heart and studio to the project with amazing generosity, while my boyfriend Mike was there as the 'cameraman' and captured the day on film which he is now tirelessly editing just like he did with Song for Julie last year.

Once again this has been a humbling opportunity to give back as a songwriter and play a small part in making this young girl reach for a dream while she battles with a devastating illness (Ataxia Telangeicstasia). To meet her mother and get a small insight into their family and the boundless love they give to Anle has been inspiring and I cant wait to give her very own music video very soon!

 

 

Art Of Living Festival

Looking forward to HELLO-AFRICA playing a 45 min set at the Art Of Living Festival on Sat 20 Nov! We will kick off just after 12.30pm and will be sharing lots of our new songs on the day.

For more info, please visit www.artofliving.org.za/festival

Introducing... HELLO-AFRICA

There has been a change a-coming for a while now in the band. Our songs have been growing and changing the more we work together and it has become increasingly clear that what we are doing now is very different to what 'Verity & The Shades' was all about. It is no longer just 'Verity' arriving with a bunch of songs she has written and getting the guys to play them. It is now 5 people working together to grow songs that vibrantly reflect who we are, where we come from and where we are going.

Our shows have evolved into a celebration of each of our diverse personal and musical backgrounds which has resulted in a strong afro-pop flavour running through our shows. We have bid farewell to many of my old songs and welcomed in a whole host of new ones that are a true reflection of the band we are becoming.

Therefore it is time to leave behind the era of 'Verity & The Shades' and welcome in a whole new journey together. It is time to step up as a band united with a common goal to bring people together through music, word, rhythm and dance. It is time to welcome South Africa and the whole African continent to join us as we embark on a new adventure with songs that will provide an uplifting soundtrack to the road ahead.

It is time to introduce HELLO-AFRICA!

www.hello-africa.co.za

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