The last few years have been tough on all of us, and it has been hard to stay positive. Lives, jobs and income were lost, marriages ended, and many people just wanted to give up. Through grace, most of us made it through this challenging time, and that is also what inspired popular duo, Victor Bravo’s latest single.
SOLANK DIE LIEFDE BLY is an alternative song taken from the arsenal of original music by this group, consisting of Weco van Basten (lead singer and songwriter) and Jopie Pienaar (lead guitarist). It was produced by Renier Henning Music and includes the musical stylings of well-known drummer Bruce Wallace and bassist Janes Blomerus.
“While playing guitar one day, I was thinking about the storms and sadness raging around us. Feeling discouraged, I wondered what would become of us,” Weco shares. “In that moment I realized that I was not alone and that as long as we have love and each other, everything will be fine.”
According to Jopie, this song is closer to the sound the group originally envisioned for themselves and is aimed at listeners who appreciate deeper music. “The song is pleasing to the ear and the meaningful lyrics will invite you to take a second listen,” he says.
A music video, which complements the message of the song, is now available online. It was filmed by Gerduan Kemp Photo & Film’s Gerduan Kemp at Sowaar Bar and Sowaar Studios, as well as at a brand-new Airbnb in Villieria, Pretoria.
The video shows the main character (Weco) singing alone in a bar, while the rest of his band (Jopie, Janes and Jean West) are playing their instruments at home. As the song progresses, they join him on stage one at a time until they are all united for a show.
“The video symbolizes the idea of how alone and isolated we all were just a while ago. It was hard having no support,” explains Weco. “When things started returning to normal, we became part of each other’s lives again. As long as we have people in our lives who care about and support us, there is always hope.”
SOLANK DIE LIEFDE BLY is their fourth release and follows in the successful footsteps of their precious single, Suiderkruis, which was released in 2020 and recently won an Afri-Indie Independent Artist Music Award for Best Contemporary Single.
Skemer (2019) and Breakway Line (2018) both won Afri-Indie Awards (Best Duo Single and Best Overall Single) and charted on various radio stations across the country.
Victor Bravo made their debut in 2018. In the short time they have been performing together, the musical pair (who is also family) has enjoyed various career highlights, including several awards, two tours and performances on some of the biggest music stages in the country, such as Aardklop in 2019.
When not on stage or busy writing songs for the group or other artists, Weco enjoys his day job as business intelligence manager at a large corporate company. He comes from a musical family and has been frequenting the braai and campfire scene at family get-togethers for years. The musician was also a member of the Drakensberg Boys Choir and studied drama and creative writing in the USA after school.
Jopie, co-owner of CrossFit MTVE in Pretoria, is equally passionate about fitness and music. After attending his first rock concert at the age of fourteen, he bought a guitar, taught himself how to play and has since mastered the art of keeping a crowd entertained.
The versatile duo wants their music to be whatever the listener needs it to be at that particular moment when they hear it. “It must be jet fuel for the guys who want to party and enjoy it, but it must also be a gentle source of comfort to anyone looking for a shoulder to cry on at any given moment,” adds Weco.
SOLANK DIE LIEFDE BLY is one of those songs that speaks to the heart and will stay with you long after hearing it for the first time.
“I think the song speaks to the voice inside of us that makes us feel hopeless and tells us not to give up,” Weco concludes.
The song is available on all digital platforms. Download it here:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/solank-die-liefde-bly-radio-edit-single/1635716746?uo=4
Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mdCRcCU8Myjcf86cq1vD-2B34MBYcxnPc
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6zw31wRK5yP5pf57e58tSQ?si=2hrZP1pDTv2LdHdwHp54Rw&nd=1
Victor Bravo Moedig Luisteraars Aan Om Nie Moed Op Te Gee Nie Met Nuwe Enkelsnit En Musiekvideo
Die wêreld het die afgelope paar jaar donker tye beleef waarin dit moeilik was om positief te bly. Tye waarin geliefdes gesterf het, huwelike verbrokkel het, werke en inkomstes verloor is en baie mense lus was om op te gee. Met genade van bo, het die meeste van ons heel aan die ander kant uitgekom en dit is dié liefde en genade wat die gewilde duo, Victor Bravo, se nuutste enkelsnit geïnspireer het.
SOLANK DIE LIEFDE BLY is ’n alternatiewe snit uit dié groep, wat bestaan uit Weco van Basten (sanger en liedjieskrywer) en Jopie Pienaar (hoofkitaarspeler), se eie arsenaal oorspronklike musiek.
Dit is vervaardig deur Renier Henning Music en sluit die klanke van die bekende dromspeler, Bruce Wallace, en baskitaarspeler, Janes Blomerus, in.
“Ek het op ’n dag met my kitaar gesit en dink oor die storms en hartseer wat so rondom ons woed, en ek het gewonder wat van ons gaan word,” deel Weco. “Ek het mismoedig gevoel, maar het in daardie oomblik besef dat ek nie alleen is nie. Dat solank ons kan saamstaan en kan lief bly vir mekaar, alles sal fine wees.”
Volgens Jopie is hierdie liedjie nader aan die klank en styl wat hulle oorspronklik vir die groep in gedagte gehad het en is dit anders as hulle vorige vrystelling omdat dit gemik is op diegene wat van dieper musiek hou. “Dit bied agtergrondmusiek wat maklik is om na te luister, met ernstiger lirieke wat jou aanmoedig om aandagtig te sit en luister,” sê hy.
Die musiekvideo, wat die boodskap van die snit perfek vasvang, is ook nou beskikbaar. Dit is deur Gerduan Kemp van Gerduan Kemp Photo & Film verfilm by Sowaar Bar en Sowaar Studios, asook by ’n splinternuwe Airbnb in Villieria, Pretoria.
In die video sing die hoofkarakter (Weco) alleen by ’n kroeg, terwyl die res van sy orkeslede (Jopie, Janes en Jean West) ook elkeen in afsondering by hulle eie huise musiek maak. Soos wat die liedjie opbou, sluit hulle egter een-vir-een by hom aan op die verhoog totdat hulle uiteindelik weer almal saam speel en ’n groot vertoning hou.
“Die video versinnebeeld die idee van hoe alleen en afgesonder ons op ’n stadium was. In daardie tye het dit swaar gegaan, omdat ons mekaar nie kon ondersteun nie,” verduidelik Weco. “Soos wat dinge weer begin terugkeer het na normaal, het dit begin beter gaan en kon ons weer bymekaar uitkom. Solank ons mense het wat vir ons omgee, is daar altyd hoop.”
SOLANK DIE LIEFDE BLY is hulle vierde vrystelling en volg in die suksesvolle voetspore van hul vorige enkelsnit, Suiderkruis, wat in 2020 uitgereik is en aangewys is as Beste kontemporêre enkelsnit by die onlangse Afri-Indie Onafhanklike Kunstenaartoekennings.
Skemer (2019) en Breakway Line (2018) het ook elkeen met ’n Afri-Indie-toekenning (Beste duo enkelsnit en Beste algehele enkelsnit) weggestap en vir verskeie weke bo-aan treffersparades regoor die land gekuier.
Victor Bravo het in 2018 hulle debuut in die musiekbedryf gemaak. In die kort tydjie wat hulle amptelik saam musiek maak, het dié musiekpaar (wat ook familie is) reeds talle hoogtepunte bereik, wat verskeie toekennings, twee Kaapse toere en optredes op verskeie groot musiekverhoë – waaronder Aardklop 2019 – insluit.
Wanneer hy nie op die verhoog is of liedjies vir homself en ander kunstenaars skryf nie, bou en ondersoek Weco data-sisteme by die werk. Hy is reeds van jongs af doenig met musiek, was as kind lid van die Drakensberg Seunskoor en het na skool drama en kreatiewe skryfkuns in Amerika geswot.
Jopie, wat mede-eienaar van CrossFit MTVE in Pretoria is, is net so passievol oor fiksheid en gesondheid as oor musiek. Nadat hy op skool sy eerste rockkonsert bygewoon het, het hy besluit om te begin kitaar speel en het sedertdien die kuns bemeester om sy vingers moeiteloos oor die snare te laat vlieg.
Die veelsydige duo wou nog altyd gehad het dat hulle musiek moet wees wat ookal die luisteraar nodig het dit moet wees op daardie spesifieke oomblik wat hulle dit hoor. “Dit moet jet fuel wees vir die ouens wat wil kuier en dit geniet, maar dit moet ook ’n sagte vertroosting wees vir enigiemand wat op daardie oomblik ’n skouer soek om op te huil,” sê Weco.
SOLANK DIE LIEFDE BLY is een van daardie liedjies wat aan jou hart gaan knaag en in jou kop gaan maal lank nadat jy dit vir die eerste keer gehoor het.
“Ek dink die liedjie praat met daai stemmetjie binne ons, wat vir ons wil vertel dat dit nutteloos is om aan te hou hoop, en sê hou net vas,” sluit Weco af.
Dit is nou beskikbaar op alle digitale platforms. Laai dit hier af:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/solank-die-liefde-bly-radio-edit-single/1635716746?uo=4
Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mdCRcCU8Myjcf86cq1vD-2B34MBYcxnPc
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6zw31wRK5yP5pf57e58tSQ?si=2hrZP1pDTv2LdHdwHp54Rw&nd=1
