Hennie
Bekker is an award winning, multi-platinum selling musician whose eclectic
career spans decades, continents, generations and genres. Best known for his New
Age sound on the SolitudesTM, Kaleidoscope and Tranquility album
series, he was also a creative force behind BKS, one of Canada's most successful
techno/dance bands. African Roots
Bekker
was raised in Mufulira, a Zambian copper mining town 10 miles south of the Congo
border. In those early years, he was captivated by the symphonic sounds of the
African wilderness, the haunting harmonies of tribal chanting and the rhythmic
dialogue of drummers communicating between camps at sundown. He is a self-taught
pianist who had his professional debut at age 15, spending the next decade
performing with various bands throughout Zambia, Zaire, Zimbabwe and Kenya. His
success as a fusion-jazz musician and band leader elevated him to become the
musical director for one of South Africa's largest record companies. Here, he
added scores of film, television, radio and commercial music to his list of
career accomplishments. London Calling
Bekker
brought his musical skills to London, England, where he, along with producer
Emil Zoghby, arranged, conducted and produced albums for such notable artists as
Freddie Cole, Magna Carta and Stanley Black. Oh Canada
In
1987, Bekker emigrated to Canada where he concentrated on commercial work and
recorded over twenty instrumental albums for stock-music companies. This
experience led him to SolitudesTM, where he composed ambient melodies
to compliment Dan Gibson's nature sounds. The two collaborated on the first
fourteen Exploring Nature With Music albums, a highly successful series that has
sold gold, platinum, double platinum and triple platinum volumes. Serenity Now
Having established himself as a top Easy Listening composer, Bekker went on to compose, arrange and produce a solo series of soothing, meditative, nature inspired albums. In the Kaleidoscope and Tranquility series, he applied his signature style to original songs that captured the essence of a mood, memory or season as well as interpretations of familiar classics, carols and lullabies. His renowned African Tapestries series pays homage to his homeland, an expedition of World music interwoven with sounds from his roots.
Rave Reviews
Bekker's
versatility is demonstrated by his innovative techno work with the band BKS,
which produced a string of progressive hits popular in the contemporary club
scene. Collaborating with Greg Kavanagh and Chris Sheppard, Bekker and his
electronic wizardry struck a chord with DJ's and the youth market as they toured
North America and climbed the Billboard dance charts. Among other accolades,
BKS's Astroplane won the 1997 Juno award for best dance recording. Towards 2000
Bekker is a master of musical technology, using the full resources of his state-of-the-art studio to blend, stretch, layer and enhance his core sounds. He is a prolific professional who is constantly creating, exploring and recording auditory portraits that captivate a wide audience. Be it a solo or collaborative effort, an original or interpretive piece, a conventional or inventive track, Bekker's artistry will continue to inspire.
