‘You should make music that’s yours’

Singer and songwriter, Werner Bekker will perform at his very first music festival this week as he forms part of the line up of the Mieliepop Music Festival in Mpumalanga from 21 until 24 March.

He says that he is both nervous and excited about performing at a festival for the first time, and will be playing on the same stage as nationally-loved acts such as Apocalypse Later and Cortina Whiplash, and will also perform as Splashy Fen later this year.

With his unique blend of folk and pop genres, Bekker (23) is an example of what South African musicians can be if they embrace their own style and stop trying to sound like anyone else.

“If someone feels like they just couldn’t do anything else, then they should go into the entertainment industry. It might be a difficult industry to crack, but if you’re passionate about it then go for it,” he explained to the Fourways Review.

“And if you are going to make music, make music that’s yours – don’t copy and paste from other South African artists who have been successful. Produce music that only you can play.”

With his simple, haunting folk ballads, Bekker has become a stable of the live music scene in Johannesburg. He plays about 10 to 20 live gigs a week, including regularly at the Steamworks, the Fourways Farmer’s Market and Social on Main in the Fourways area alone.

“I first got into music when I was about 12 years old,” Bekker expained. “My father is a performer as well, and once he started teaching my sister how to play guitar, I got jealous and asked if I could learn, too. I knew then that I wanted to study music.”

Although Bekker’s parents are creatives themselves (his mom loves to paint), they did not want him studying music as they knew from personal experience how difficult the industry was.

“When I was 17 I told them that I wanted to study music, and they didn’t like the idea.

“I wrote my first song about that experience, and it was called Boxed In. Once they heard that song, they said I could go.”

Bekker draws his inspiration from everyday life, and the events in his life that affect him. He says he starts by writing the music first and then his lyrics come to him later on.

“Sometimes it’s like I don’t actually know what I’m feeling until I’ve written the music for a song on my guitar. Producing music is more a form of therapy for me than a way to make money,” Bekker concluded.

Details: www.wernerbekkermusic.co.za; @wernerbekkermusic on Facebook and Instagram.