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The Nomads make their journey to Linden

The Nomadic Orchestra had set its sights on serenading Linden as they performed at The Irish.

Nomads recently came to Linden with their tuba, drums, trumpet, saxophone and guitar at hand all with the intention to have their brass dance tunes influence their audience to get up and dance.

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Jono Prest.
Jono Prest.

Called the Nomadic Orchestra, this Cape Town-based five-piece band performed at Linden’s The Irish, sharing the stage with musician, Steve Umculo. Though it has remained true to its essence, the band, which was originally formed in 2009, does not now consist of the original band members, said frontman Gabriel du Toit. “ So we really weren’t part of the origin story, but surely this makes us true Nomads? And we did all study music, so being an orchestra is fitting I feel.”

Lilavan Gangen.
Lilavan Gangen.

Du Toit explained the band came to be while its members were studying at University of Cape Town. It was called to create a musical happening for the very popular Balkanology parties. Over the years they played at many of these parties till they sadly stopped happening. However, the band lived on in the spirit of these wildly fun dance events.

Gabriel du Toit.
Gabriel du Toit.

It has been 15 years since the band was formed and in that time 25 ‘nomads’ have given their best performances all in the name of entertaining their audiences who must consider themselves quite lucky as there are no plans of them stopping. Of course they have had lots to celebrate in that time such as their three full-length studio albums streaming on all platforms, as well as the honour of playing with bands such as Freshly Ground, Gogol Bordello, Balkan Beat Box and many more.

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Matthew Lee Belyeu.
Matthew Lee Belyeu.

“We are currently writing new material and can’t wait to put it out for you all! We are planning a summer full of gigs and creative things. Watch this space and follow on Instagram and Facebook for more. We’d also love to do more international touring,” shared Du Toit.

Andrew Middlekoop.
Andrew Middlekoop.

For the orchestra members it is important for them to make music that feels good as it seems to have a positive effect on their audiences – an effect they hope to keep throughout their career. “We always hope to keep a sense of togetherness with our uplifting and danceable sound. Our quirky sense of humour on stage, along with our strong brotherhood is something we nurture and portray to our fellow humans as something we hold in high regard. Let’s just dance and laugh together for a bit of a jol!” exclaimed Du Toit.

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