Rod Nichols's Page

Moin, Rod,

that sounds great, thank you. From my side, collaboration could take part in any form that goes like creating music over the internet.

In my page player you might already have found my other songs that sprung out from collaboration - any songtitles that start with more initials than mine ("CT") are collaborative songs, from remixes over re-arrangements to combining or replacing single tracks.

For example, being a European keeps it hard for me to create music that sounds like South African music, or to have the unique sound of yours that I really like. For instance, could you image to give your sound e.g. to my "Back of the Bus" song? Of course, any other idea will be highly welcome.

Looking forward to working together!

:-) Carsten (-:

Moin, Rod,

interested in some sort of musical collaboration?

What's on schedule?

:-) Carsten (-:

Hi Rod, siyabonga for the CD - very interesting und different to all what I heard so far from South Africa. Let's discuss how we could "maisha" integrate into our project!

Today we are moving to another building - I come back to you next week.

Nice weekend, Dieter

Hi Rod,
I think it would be great if your musicians will get into the lyrics of "Songs Of Good Hope" and compose their music to it. The lyrics are wirtten by me after I wrote an article about IBM in South Africa, 1994. IBM has some social projects in Soweto (Kindergarten, primary scholl, education center for adults and the first home for aged. You will find the beginnig of the "Songs Of Good Hope" story in the song "Soweto, June 1994". This was a very emotional trip for me - of course I wrote about in the article - but in the end I had the feeling I have to tell my emotions my IBM colleague, Peter Mbelengwa (also on the blog) as lyrics. -- After that we went back to SA 1995 - visited also Townships, Shebeens... an met people which "normal" tourist have no chance to met. The results were many picutes and stories. Then I rembered at the very first one, Soweto 1994 and "put" all pictures and stories into lyrics. The lyrics like a trip through SA from the view of a stranger. Additional lyrics came 1998 and 2003.

A pilot project was started 1998/1999 - a band called Sawubona with musicians from Soweto and Germans. They toured twice allover Germany with the help of the South African Embassador in Germany, Lindiwe Mabuza and IBM.

The project now is a relaunch in a modern style - of course because South Africa will be or is a hype in the media. The idea is that the proceeds from music marketing will at the end support Township projects and of course SA musicians.

Let me know if you need addition information - I will send you via mail.

Nice weekend and siyabonga!
Dieter

Hi Rod, I sent you a mail with the address - it would be absolutly great to meet you in Durban - hope end of this/beginning next year! We would be absolutly happy if musicians from your region would join the Sawubona MusicJam and compose music to the lyrics.

Kwazulu/Natal is a region which has many help projects from Baden-Württemberg (our region) - may be we can develop something also about the political connections.

Baden-Württemberg is already partner of our project - let's discuss if there is a chance to get Kwazulu/Natal as partner of the project as well. As contact person for politicans we have Tselane Mokuena, Consul-General South Africa in Germany on the Sawubona Blog.

What do you think?
Best regards, Dieter

Hi Rod, sorry, I missed the date because a lot of unexpected meetings - I will try a Thursday afternoon again. Hope it will work for you, too. If not: please send me another suggestion.

Sorry again and thanks,
Dieter

Hey Rod,
if you would see our chaotic weather here, you wouldn't say that! I'd better come to you... :o)
thanks to the www we can meet here on this sunny virtual place...!
Petra

Hi Rod, I try to call you tomarrow afternoon - about 3

Best regards,
Dieter

Hello Rod,
a big and warm welcome to sawubona.. I listened to your song Maisha - beautiful!!! It's great that you join us!
Petra