Priya Boshoff, Matt Vend and SomGav

MiTH 2nd November 2022
INFO: 082 331 7271
ENTRANCE: R50.00 – Cash or Zapper at the Door
VENUE: The Knoll Historic Guest Farm

9pm: Priya Boshoff

Priya is a natural stage performer, who has enjoyed the privilege of performing in a variety of artistic fields, from singing to classical dance from the age of 6. Equally at ease in front of a large and intimate audiences, she has entertained audiences across KwaZulu Natal. She has earned favourable attention from her fellow musicians, and music-lovers alike, for her soothing vocal tone, sense of timing, natural stage presence, and phrasing of songs whilst maintaining respect to the meaning and story of the lyrics.

After 8 years in a corporate setting, and starting a family, Priya became aware of how limited time is, and left the corporate world to dive into her passion for singing and performing. Her classical vocal training under Mr Lionel Mkwanazi has helped her to understand and fine-tune her vocal instrument, allowing her to bring her poetic stories to life.

Priya’s vocal talents will be elevated with the accompaniment of piano, bass, and drums. Shemual “Shem” Mahabeer, with his wealth of experience in the music industry, will put his qualification in jazz piano performance, composition, and arranging to use on the MiTH stage. Talent “Mzukulu” Mbatha, a versatile bassist hailing from Nongoma in Northern KwaZulu Natal, will add his unique bass style influenced by genres such as maskandi, mbhaqanga, jazz, pop, contemporary rock, soul, and fusion. Rounding out the sound will be Donovan Jacob, a Durban-based drummer/percussionist with impressive versatility gained over more than 30 years of experience.

7pm: Matt Vend and SomGav

Matt Vend and SomGav have been playing and touring independently for a number of years, yet have never collaborated until now. Matt is no stranger to the live music scene with countless tours, shows, and DIY albums under his belt. This year alone he has spent almost half of the year living out of his car, playing in almost every nook and cranny of the country. Matt bumped into SomGav one day on the Durban beachfront, and this interaction has led the eclectic songwriter to produce the isiZulu folk singer’s first recordings, as well as invite him on an extensive national tour which opens at MiTH on the 2nd of November.

SomGav, a Durban-born singer-songwriter and guitarist , takes his influences from legendary isiZulu singers of previous generations, such as the acclaimed Madala Kunene, and weaves his own new style of guitar-playing titled “NgciNgci”, which is a combination of numerous genres including traditional African music, rock, and grunge. He is no stranger to the stage, having performed at numerous festivals as part of various groups.

Matt Vend is a singer/songwriter who adopts an old-time approach to performing live; armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar, a set of harmonicas, and a capo. Humanity, heartache, humour, and sadness drive his narrative, and even though he is influenced by 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s rock ‘n roll, and punk from Europe and North America, he still keeps his lyrics and artistic focus firmly cemented in his hometown of Durban, where he resides today.

Matt weaves an interesting musical tapestry of folk, punk, rock ‘n roll, blues, electronica, and maskandi wherever he goes. His eclectic performances have entertained people all over the world, including South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico City, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Sometimes on street corners, sometimes in people’s homes, sometimes in dive bars, and sometimes at major festivals.

ABOUT MiTH: Arguably the KZN Midlands’ best-loved music venue, Music in The Hills (MiTH) is an opportunity for beginners, professionals, and passionate music fans to share the joy of music at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm. Visit www.mith.co.za for more details and directions. Musicians can contact mithbookings@gmail.com for slots.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: MiTH takes place every second Wednesday at The Knoll Historic Guest Farm, Knoll Drive, Hilton. Doors open at 6pm and the music will kick off at 7pm. Entrance is R50 at the door. Bring your own booze. Food and soft drinks are available for sale.

DIRECTIONS TO MiTH: Take the N3 to Hilton, take the Hilton turnoff and go South into the Village (away from Hilton College). Travel 5,2km along Hilton Avenue (past two sets of traffic lights and Crossways Pub) and keep going straight as Hilton Avenue turns into Dennis Shepstone Drive. At the 5,2km mark, Knoll Drive will be on your right – the entrance to MiTH is the *second* entrance on your left into The Knoll Historic Guest Farm.