Music etches your life like streetlamps next to the road. It lights up your past in moments and guides you along just far enough for now. You cannot listen to music in future tense. It is only now.
I have recently been asked by a friend -how long have you been doing music, I was looking for you on Spotify and I got lost in the list…?
I know… my brother says I’ve maxed out iTunes. So I thought I would clarify my highway of songs and music productions.
It’s easy.
My grandmother Ouma Marthie raised me on Afrikaans folk songs, my dad continued the tradition and here I am chipping away at it too(I am just leaving a trail of song crumbs behind! It started because I could not remember the words to my favorite songs…and started recording them to remember)(Sing Afrikaans 1-7)
I started songwriting on my Ouma Marthie’s piano(it is featured in many songs including the first false about the piano that developed from overuse). My roads crossed Heilbron, Newcastle, London, Oxford, Stellenbosch, Paris, Canada(Saskatchewan, British Columbia)… I became quite a traveller with a suitcase stuffed with songs.(Stoot die blêddie bus/London, A South African woman in Saskatchewan, One Sky- a year of living in British Columbia, Twee tasse en n Paspoort, Drink hulle tee in Kanada?)
In-between the meandering miles my heart was broken, love found many times in fellow-travelers strangers, friends, family. Life is all about relationships right?! Hello-and-goodbye stuff.
I don’t really like writing songs just about romantic love- what else can be added? But if you insist: Wag vir Reën.
Then came the let’s-solve-the-problem phase: it started with my first song about germs in my first year nursing and evolved into a mountain of music: HIV, TB, Cancer, Diabetes, Women and children, migration, bullying, road safety, addictions, lice… I think the only thing I haven’t written a song about yet is Hypertension…#ItWontBeLong. (Life is a Gift- the Neal Stacey TB story, Kommagas se mense/Namakwaland- for Danneline Ramsden, Agterossies in die kraal-Voortrekkers)
Then came the Erik Erikson’s development stages: a production for every age group… because I hang out in many senior’s homes I wanted to sing the songs they would enjoy and this lead to senior’s shows and senior productions: from ‘Trein na Pretoria’ to ‘Oh Danny Boy’ songs squeezed in with jazz in-between. (#Afrikaans #Sonder Grense, Blessed Assurance, Jazz)
For the children I systematically paged through their challenges to come up with educational stories and music(Ek is Spesiaal, Boelie… most songs have only been heard sporadically to light up the need and moment of the day)
Christmas? Covered that too…(Geseënde Kersfees/Somer Kersfees, busy working on Are you ready for Christmas?)
I did some trophy-hunting with productions meant for certain purposes like ‘Verweerskrif’ to get in for the Woordfees, ‘Godsbesluit’ for RSG- not all my attempts were as successful…
I did collaborations in singing we are still having fun and evolving it(Think Music, Born in Africa, Boelie)
The big whistle production for me was ‘Woman on Fire’: I like to use Bible stories as backdrops to many songs but this one was just plain Christian religious songs.
All of my music has not been released yet. I collaborate with songwriters across the World and they have become my best friends in music. Together we have combed through the landscape of life and emotions with a tweezer, weighed the tears and celebrated the odd days.
The rest of it is thematically productions as life grows you lemons(Hy Leef Paasfees, ‘Babylon the end of the World as we know it, I will always be you hot/fat wife baby, Knock! knock the skeleton’s journey back to life, Inspekteur Koekemoer en die Pampoetertjie, Hitman, Hooglied Bokkie, Tao Te Ching, Songs for Sutherland, Book Ninja, Mathematics, Telling Time, Abnormal Psychology…) you can never be done when you are a songwriter!
Now I am scratching in the attic to dust off Ouma Marthie and Oupa Louis songs to tell their love story and how growing up bare foot and free has molded me and my life’s journey. I like ‘Katjiepiering en Anys’ because it features real life heroes like my granddad.
So I invite you to get lost in my forest of zongs(new baby songs- I call them ‘bicycle songs’), songs(the rolls royce songs with musical arrangements that will take you to Disney World) or just me walking down the road, crossing your path and leaving you with a hook: these days it is ‘Summertime’ because I am working on my November Jazz Friday Shows with Winston Siljeur- just cover songs(you have to learn from the best trailblazers of the past #ClimEveryMountain)
Sincerely
Your fellow-time-traveler
Sr. Marthie Nel Hauptfleisch
Singer-Songwriter, Professional Nurse, Inspirational Speaker
“Find Your Purpose And Run With It”
[email protected]
083 767 2701
Womanonfire_1 instagram
#MondaysWithMarthie: goo.gl/9vbmfc
>In the picture is the youth who can light up your future with musical moments at the Endler this Saturday. Bring your goosebumps and a big exhale- it will be a streetlight to remember.
>Jazz Fridays! First 4 Fridays in November in Stellenbosch(US Museum- the Red building in Van Ryneveld str- you can’t miss it!). Tickets available at quicket- link below.
>People have been asking: yes we do small and big gigs for your special event or normal Saturday. Yes, you can come surprise us with your talent: we will do open mic opportunities at the end of the show. The venue is available beyond 5-6pm. If there is people, there is a party. You can preorder your ‘Picnic in a Box’ via the link too. Wine? It’s Stellenbosch- bring your own(no corkage)
>Thank you Marthinusss for the poster design for Jazz Fridays- you have captured summer beautifully!
>I will leave you with my Spotify-get-lost-successfully-link…
open.spotify.com/artist/5MmggKpJnYa72Uk577aoIo?si=4E2yUBtsQEaq-32xAuS_Ig
