POLOKWANE – Berry Ike ‘McBass SA’ Mashaba says that he got inspired my his late father who had had his own jazz band, which operated in Musina years back.
“I used to tag along every time they went for rehearsals. I started off playing the keyboard and in 2006, my father began teaching me how to play the Bass guitar. I then began growing very fond of music as the years passed. I fell in love with it and in 2012, I decided to study music performance at the Central Johannesburg College in Crown Mines (Music & Visual Arts Campus),” he explains.
Mashaba says that in terms of his music, he looks up to everyone around him, as everyone has a unique and different taste in different things in life.
He is, however, more inspired by local South African bass players such as the likes of Musa Manzini, Lucas Senyatso, Vuyo Manyike, Gally Ngobeni, Earl Breezy Baartman, Carlo Jooste, Lally Tshabalala, Bheka Mthethwa, Tshepo Bootybayz Nkoe and Mano Simeli.
“I’ve been a session Bass player since 2013 and I have had the privilege of working with a couple of artists and bands such as Centiana, Zeus, Vincent Bones, DolceVita, Groundlevel, Kabelo Mabalane, Earl Brink, Hellen Dikobe, Umoja Cfc and The Fam. In 2016, my friends and I formed a band called the ‘JamRockers’, which is a 3-piece-band consisting of Bass, Keys, and drums. Ever since then, we’ve been practicing together almost every day to tighten and improve our music, because consistency is key in this industry, the competition is tough. My vision going further is to make sure that I invest all my energy and time in the JamRockers and make sure that the band becomes a success, that’s my ultimate goal,” he said.
