Music & Lifestyle: Natalia - South African Singer Songwriter

Natalia's New Album First To Be Produced By The MyMusicMatrix Studios In District Six

Cape Town singer-songwriter Natalia has just released her new album 'Rules Of The Road', featuring 10 original tracks, which is the second collection of her own songs following 'Long Street Lullabies', her debut album released in 2007.

That same year Natalia won the annual Barleycorn Songwriting Competition with her entry 'The Cigarette Song', and her prize was an extended recording contract with the MyMusicMatrix Studios in District Six. Natalia used her Barleycorn prize of studio time to record and produce this new album which was completed during the second half of 2008.

The MyMusicMatrix Studios in District Six is a recent initiative, established in 2007 under the direction of the well-known and respected SA music personality, Aidan Harper, who was invited to run a multimedia academy at the Azaad Independent Youth Services building in District Six, Cape Town.

Harper established these studios in these school buildings to create an environment where he could begin to educate and train previously disadvantaged students in sound engineering, radio broadcast, and production, in order to help them gain career placement opportunities in the SA music industry. Two of these students, Siyabulela Ngdela and Jason De Jongh, have now successfully completed their first full project which was recording, mixing and mastering Natalia's album over a six month period, under Aidan Harper's guidance.

Natalia is a 22-year-old vocalist and guitarist who has established a strong local following over the past few years in Cape Town. This is due to the many live gigs she has performed over the past seven years, both in Cape Town as well as in Gauteng, acquainting audiences with her own brand of emotive female pop-rock. While 'Long Street Lullabies' was a collection of Natalia's early recordings, 'Rules of the Road' is Natalia's first full length studio album proper.

Joshua Grierson, Natalia's friend and fellow Cape Town musician, came on board to add his characteristic melodic guitar lines and emotive vocals on a few of the tracks. The pair have worked and performed together many times over the past few years (appearing occasionally as the cult duo Signal Hill) and their creative connection can be heard and felt on the duet 'These Flames' and 'Bad Avenue'.

For this album, Natalia also collaborated with guest musicians Alain Joffe on bass, Kurt Diederiks and Rafi Segerman on drums, Ella Gabriel on piano, Luke Otto on Cello, and David Agranat and Richard Pryor on additional guitars.

The 10 tracks on the album range through a variety of styles and moods and include the highlights 'The Cigarette Song', 'I'm In Love with Somebody Else', 'Wooden Fireplace', 'Pens and Movies' and 'Yes-No Coin'. The song 'Golden Touch' was written for a close friend, Gideon Prodgers, who passed away in 2008 and the album is dedicated to his memory.

Natalia has relocated to London in early 2009 to pursue her musical career abroad and to follow up on a lot of interest she has received for her first album and this new, second offering, from parties in both the UK and Europe.

Natalia's other successful musical side project of the past few years was as the singer in the duo, 'Niskerone and Natalia'. In addition to her solo performances, Natalia began appearing on vocals alongside the high profile Cape Town Drum and Bass DJ Niskerone at various festivals and clubs around Cape Town, culminating in their appearance at the OppiKoppi Festival.

There are plans for the duo to perform overseas during 2009 with some shows and festivals lined up in Spain during the upcoming European summer festival season.

Physical copies of 'Rules Of The Road' are available at Mabu Vinyl in Cape Town, and online from the Sugar Music online store at www.sugarmusic.co.za

'Rules Of The Road' can also be bought and downloaded online as mp3 tracks from: www.rhythmonline.co.za

For more info:

Visit: www.rock.co.za/natalia