TAG: Willem and Louis Van der Merwe will perform at Theatre in the Muze on July 22 and 24. TAG: Willem and Louis Van der Merwe will perform at Theatre in the Muze on July 22 and 24.
It all started on the back of a bakkie for the very first SA’s Got Talent television series finalists, brothers Willem and Louis van der Merwe.
They describe themselves as “the singing, fun-loving, romantic brothers”, and they will be performing as Silwer at Theatre in the Muze, Muizenberg, on Friday and Sunday.
“One of our first singing memories is where we were sitting in the back of our father’s old Ford F100 bakkie on a family holiday through Namibia.
“Something about the silence just needed to be filled, so we started singing and harmonising songs from the musical Les Miserables that we both listened to before the trip. It sounded surprisingly good,” Willem says.
After realising they could sing, they started performing at weddings and in churches. “(SA’s Got Talent) opened many doors for us and gave us the opportunity to live our dream,” he continues. Now they travel across the country, singing to diverse audiences. The duo have been described in the media as “our very own Il Divo”. Top Billing said the duo showed just how much talent there is in South Africa.
About their repertoire, Willem explains: “Our repertoire is quite diverse and we embrace many songs that our singing style allows. As we are proudly South African, we love to add a couple of Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa songs to most programmes. People are sometimes surprised to find that our shows usually also include a number of Italian, French, Swedish and/or Spanish songs.
“Our singing style resembles what is known as the crossover genre, shared by artists like Il Divo, Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli.”
As artists who have enjoyed a modicum of success brought about by the television series, they feel that these reality programmes “make for gripping viewing and offer a few lucky winners some fantastic exposure”.
However, the brothers say that they also believe it sometimes feels that these “overnight success stories” propagate the misleading picture of quick achievements without the necessary mentorship.
Willem explains: “These programmes often disregard the learning years, which are in most cases necessary for a healthy career. More often than not, mentoring is not available for an inexperienced winner, and wonderful opportunities of nurturing and helping talent afterwards can get lost.”
After SA’s Got Talent, they have been performing at weddings and concerts, theatres, private and corporate functions, and restaurants.
Last year they performed at some of the World Cup events and this year they sang at the Klein Karoo Arts Festival.
“Never a dull moment, and we are thankful that audiences are so receptive to us,” laughs Willem.
About the music industry in South Africa, Willem says: “It offers you an amazing opportunity to be immensely creative, entrepreneurial and gutsy with your talents, challenging your budget and determination to new heights. Simultaneously you must try to be unique and uphold a high standard, not allowing yourself merely to copy the money-making machines.”
What are they busy with presently, and what does the future hold in store for them? “We are busy recording our first CD that we plan to release by the end of the year.
“As for the rest, we will be performing all over South Africa, at as many of the national festivals and theatres as possible. After a couple of years we would love to go and show the rest of the world what South African singers are made of.”
l Tickets are R80 at the door. To book, call 083 648 3383, or 083 647 7925 for R60 tickets. See www.silwermusic.com