Round Corners asks artists about their life in the arts, and which artists in other media stimulate them. MICK RAUBENHEIMER spoke to brothers MURRAY BUITENDAG (brassy bandleader) and KINGSLEY BUITENDAG (pianist) about art and inspiration.
When did you first identify as a creative artist?
Murray: When I first decided to pursue Jazz Studies in 2010, but more formally during my 3rd year at SACM (South African College of Music).
Kingsley: I would say in high school. I attended a Zim Ngqawana concert which changed the way I viewed music. It showed me that there was power in music beyond the notes.
Outside of your medium, what branch of art stimulates you?
M: Film – specifically historical documentaries – but most of what inspires me comes from the various other strains of music, both new and old.
K: Literature.
Which artist/s in said discipline have inspired you, and why?
M: The piano works of Frédéric Chopin. Specifically his Mazurkas, Nocturnes and preludes, which are technical art masterpieces hinting at elements of impressionism, typical of that era.
K: I have been inspired by so many poets and writers. One that really sticks out for me is Hermann Hesse. I like the way an author can create the opportunity for the reader to have an experience which is not dictated. Music is very similar in this way.
What, to you, is art’s most important function?
M: To portray a message (or paint a picture) to an audience. The audience could be one person or a stadium full of people. The message is whatever the artist wants it to be. If one person in a crowd of people relates to the message then the function of art has been fulfilled.
K: Art is an enabler. It creates an environment where the receiver can feel/think on a level they would not otherwise reach.
Local creatives (in any medium) that currently excite you?
M: Sisonke Xonti, Justin Bellairs, Darryl Andrews Big Band, Mike Campbell Big Band and Darren English to name a few. They are all involved in projects that are pushing boundaries in the South African music industry.
K: Neo Muyanga – I have worked with him on a composition project and found him to be massively inspiring.
What specific work – be it in literature, music, or visual art – do you return to again and again, and why?
M: Miles Davis – Kind of Blue. I must have listened to that record about 100 times. Each play-through showcases something new. The way Coltrane plays a specific line over All Blues, or the way Davis plays the head in Blue in Green. It’s almost as if there is a new story each time.
K: There are many! There is a bootleg recording of a gig played by pianist Bill Evans which I still can’t get enough of, even though I’ve listened to it for years. I think I am attracted to the rawness of the playing. It is right at the end of his life and one can almost hear him desperately trying to say all he has to say before he goes. It’s as if he and the trio leave the conscious space. It really is incredible.
Any current project you’re unveiling/wrapping up?
M: We recently recorded our debut album, You’re my everything, which is out now. It features my brother Kingsley on piano, Lumanyano Mzi on drum kit and Stephen De Souza on bass.
K: We’ve just released a jazz album by trombonist Murray Buitendag. I play piano on the record and it features one of my compositions.
Who: Murray Buitendag Quartet, 2018
Album: You’re My Everything
Album link: https://itunes.apple.com/za/album/youre-my-everything/1338910770
WS
