Singer-songwriter Emma van Heyn, supported by Robin Molteno on guitar, Luke Verrezen on bass and keys, and Lilavan Gangen on drums, will bring her sounds to The Drostdy Theater, Stellenbosch, on Friday September 1, at 8.15am.
Emma’s voice is paired with a balance of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, subtly making use of instrumental and vocal looping.
Since the age of six, Emma, who is from Somerset West, has written and composed music. Known for her honest lyrics, complimented by quirky overtones, she creates songs that glorify fairness in unwanted situations. She made her stage debut at age seven, at Spier Amphitheatre, performing in the production, Movies’ Greatest Music.
This production also went to the KKNK in 2003, when she was nine years old.
Her debut performance as a solo artist was in 2010, when Imogen Heap requested her to sing one of her originals at her show at the Paul Cluver Amphitheatre.
This inspired Emma to further her songwriting, performing on the very same stage four years later, playing her first solo debut set at the Hope@PaulCluver Festival in 2014 under the auspices of the Thembalitsha Foundation.
Before Emma’s solo career took flight, she was the lead vocalist and songwriter of alternative rock band, Morning Ms Dednam. They were a four piece act, known for their jazz-funk infused music.
She was also formerly part of the electronic duo act, Emma + i, which was a collaboration with Helmut Meijer, where Emma wrote the songs and sang the music.
Emma produces her own music, having Uys Visser at Uys Visser Productions help mix and co-produce these tracks.
“As long as I truly stick to the integrity of the song, I’ll have a truthful outcome in the end”, says Emma. Although it is not always easy to pinpoint her genre, her 15-track debut album strives to create a versatile body of music that stays true to her main focus, the song.
She places focus on themes such as female exploitation, the current state of the country, personal trauma, heartache and heartbreak.
Emma just finished her Drama degree at Stellenbosch University, majoring in acting and physical theatre. Choral singing has inspired Emma’s vocal layering through the use of looping. She has sung in the acclaimed Tygerberg Children’s Choir and the University of Stellenbosch Choir. Tickets cost R90. Book at www.drostdyteater.co.za
