Theo Ras is a well-known musician in Fourways. He was raised in Durban in the 70s and was drawn to music by watching his father who ‘could play just about any instrument’.
He told the Fourways Review, “From the age of five my father taught me to play the ukulele, guitar and percussion. The vocals are what I did out of love and habit and taught myself all things musical from there on. There was great music around those days and anybody who wanted to play the guitar learned to play the House of the Rising Sun from the 60s and, of course, all the Beatles songs such as Let It Be and Come Together and more.”
Ras said he was influenced by musicians such as Eric Clapton, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan, America, Pink Floyd and many singers and bands that are still favoured today.
“I played in pubs and on hotel verandas, restaurants as a man band and in loose bands, all songs from old crooners to current classics and favourites. I then moved to Johannesburg and a friend and I have been collaborating on and off for the past seven years with backing tracks, writing songs, some blues and folk and more.”
He said he is very excited about the talent of artists in South Africa across the board and the variety of music in different languages. To anyone who wants to get into the music industry, Theo Ras said, “Stop talking about it and do it, practise a lot, find a mentor and Google information you need to sharpen your craft.
Photo: Theo Ras
Music is powerful, it touches us from recognising a specific melody relating to a product or a time in your life or a person or to relate to an emotion that you are experiencing, from foot tapping to a tear jerker.”
Details: Catch Theo Ras at Piccolinos’ Witkoppen or Ngwenya Glass Village and more venues, contact him at theo@receptionservices.co.za
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