Laurie Levine
Laurie Levine is fast building a reputation in the South African industry as an artist with a fresh approach and a unique sound. She is a prolific songwriter and has a jazzy, soulful voice that breathes life into her songs and embodies the emotional core of her music. Lauries music defies categorization, and is a blend of folk, adult contemporary and jazz. Her musical style is dynamic, incorporating a range of influences and resulting in a distinctive sound. She is inspired by songwriters who are able to entice listeners by making them think and who are able to express themselves in an original way. Her goal is to create music that is honest and stripped of anything that hinders the listeners connection to her songs.Laurie lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has been performing in and around the city with her band which consists of Brendan Ou Tim on bass, former bassist of Henry Ate, and Bruce Mclaren Lyall on drums, former drummer of Karoo. The band have performed at various corporate functions and have started to build a strong following at various live music venues, such as Kippies, the Blues room, Back 2 Basix, the Radium beer hall and 88. They have also performed at two of South Africas most well-known musical festivals, Splashy Fen and Oppikoppi. In May 2005 Levine was included in the Levis Vintage line-up at bar 88 in Norwood, and was the support act for Albert Frost. A recent highlight was a support slot for Rodriguez at the Forum in London as well as the Bassline in Johannesburg in October 2005. She recorded a demo mid-2004 with acclaimed producer Neill Solomon and was playlisted on highveld stereo for her single Morning sky. Her debut album is due early 2006.Laurie is also the author of Traditional music of South Africa a Jacana publication sponsored by the Drumcafe. The book was published in May 2005 and was received well by the media. It was selected for the Exclusive books Homebru promotion of the top local books and has generated much interest among educators, academics and the general public. Laurie continues to freelance for the Drumcafe and is currently developing a show on traditional South African music.