Hennie Bekker

Search Site
Banner

Posts Tagged ‘hennie’

“Old Friends” Performed Live

Monday, December 29th, 2014

2014 has been a good year, but it’s also been a sad one for me as I’ve lost some of my best and oldest friends. Most of them were friends from way back, and brilliant musicians that never got the recognition they deserved. Here is a song called “Old Friends” which I wrote many years ago, from my album “Spring Rain” performed live at the Jane Mallet Theatre in Toronto, Canada. I dedicate this song to my friends everywhere, but especially to those that I’ve lost this year, and in the past.

Hennie

“Spring Rain” appears on the album, Spring Rain (a reworked version released in 2003).

The reworked version of Spring Rain, released in 2003 is available on:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kaleidoscopes-spring-rain/id396652708
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Kaleidoscopes-Spring-Rain-Hennie-Bekker/dp/B000BW3VW6The original version, released in 1992 will be available digitally in 2015.

Performing with Hennie Bekker at the Jane Mallet Theatre, Toronto Canada:

Russ Boswell: Bass
Rob Gusevs: Keyboards
John Johnson: Woodwinds, EWI
Rick Shadrach Lazar: Percussion
Bruce Cassidy: Trumpet and EVI
Greg Kavanagh: Guitars
Bob DiSalle: Drums

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Videos | 5 Comments »

Video – “Atmos” Performed Live

Monday, November 24th, 2014
My approach to the composition of New Age, Electronic and Environmental music has definitely been influenced by my having played a lot of jazz in the past. In composing “Atmos”, I decided to draw on some of my jazz roots and have this song morph from a New Age genre into an “Easy Jazz” vehicle for solos and the result……a lot of fun!  I especially enjoyed playing it live in my 2009 concert, and am pleased to be able to share it with those of you that weren’t able to attend. Enjoy!

Hennie

“Atmos” appears on the 2010 album release, Moving On.

Moving On is available on:
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/moving-on/id376844707
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Hennie-Bekker/dp/B00320J858/

Performing with Hennie Bekker at the Jane Mallet Theatre, Toronto Canada:

Russ Boswell: Bass
Rob Gusevs: Keyboards
John Johnson: Woodwinds, EWI
Rick Shadrach Lazar: Percussion
Bruce Cassidy: Trumpet and EVI
Greg Kavanagh: Guitars
Bob DiSalle: Drums

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Videos | 2 Comments »

Video – Introspection: Relaxing Music with Visuals at Dusk

Monday, November 10th, 2014

A video of relaxing nature scenes at dusk, set to the track “Introspection” from my album Mirage.

Dusk….when the sun is setting, I usually find myself reflecting on the day’s events, and enjoying moments of relaxation and peace. While searching for visuals for this track, I was reminded of the words of some of the great philosophers and writers:

“But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in.”

– Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

“Study yourself. Find your strong points and make them stronger as well as your weak ones and strengthen them. Study yourself carefully and you will see yourself as you really are.”

– Theron Q. Dumont

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.  Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

– Carl Jung

“The deeper I go into myself the more I realize that I am my own enemy.”

– Floriano Martins

If you like the track, or want to buy the whole album, it’s available on:

iTunes:http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mirage/id437359302
Visit Hennie Bekker’s Official Website: http://henniebekker.com
Like Hennie Bekker on Facebook: http://facebook.com/henniebekkermusic
Follow Hennie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/henniebekker
Subscribe to Hennie Bekker’s YouTube channel:http://youtube.com/henniebekker
Follow Hennie Bekker on Google+:http://google.com/+henniebekker

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Videos | No Comments »

Spectrum wins ZMR 2011 Music Awards!

Sunday, March 11th, 2012

SpectrumSpectrum has won “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album” and “Best Electronic Album” in the ZMR 2011 Music Awards! See the winners on ZoneMusicReporter.com.

Spectrum is a new release by Hennie Bekker available on CD and as an album download. Spectrum is a celebration and showcase of Hennie Bekker’s remarkable strength as a multi-genre artist, featuring a colorful sequence of music from some of his most memorable albums, including the best selling Spring Rain, Summer Breeze, Temba and Reverie.

Spectrum unfolds with an uplifting array of Bekker’s musical footprints, inviting the listener on a peaceful instrumental journey through a lifetime of timeless musical expression, from echoing soundscapes of the ancient African jungle, to romantic piano and modern ambient sounds.

“Rarely have I heard a recording artist able to cover such diverse musical terrain and do it so well. From tender piano melodies, to dreamy ambient soundscapes and earthy African-influenced grooves, Hennie Bekker is a consummate composer and masterful musician.” ~Michael Diamond – Music and Media Focus

John. P Olsen of NewAgeMusicWorld.com has written a really nice article on the award winners – read the article here. You can also read his fantastic review of Spectrum here.

Preview and buy Spectrum on henniebekker.com, iTunes, as well as all other major CD and download stores.

Check back on the blog or subscribe to Hennie’s newsletter to be notified of related news including new videos and special offers.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Announcements, New releases | No Comments »

Spectrum – New Album Available Now!

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

SpectrumSpectrum is a new release by Hennie Bekker available on CD and as an album download. Spectrum is a celebration and showcase of Hennie Bekker’s remarkable strength as a multi-genre artist, featuring a colorful sequence of music from some of his most memorable albums, including the best selling Spring Rain, Summer Breeze, Temba and Reverie.

Spectrum unfolds with an uplifting array of Bekker’s musical footprints, inviting the listener on a peaceful instrumental journey through a lifetime of timeless musical expression, from echoing soundscapes of the ancient African jungle, to romantic piano and modern ambient sounds.

“Rarely have I heard a recording artist able to cover such diverse musical terrain and do it so well. From tender piano melodies, to dreamy ambient soundscapes and earthy African-influenced grooves, Hennie Bekker is a consummate composer and masterful musician.” ~Michael Diamond – Music and Media Focus

Preview and buy the album on henniebekker.com, iTunes, as well as all other major CD and download stores.

Check back on the blog or subscribe to Hennie’s newsletter to be notified of related news including new videos and special offers.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Announcements, New releases | No Comments »

Freefall – Live in Concert

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

I’m really pleased to be posting this live video of “Freefall”, a track from my June 2010 album release Moving On. The video was recorded live at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto, Canada in May 2009, and is the first video to be posted from the show. “Freefall” is somewhat of a departure from my more laid back material, but still incorporates a melodic approach.

Here are the musicians performing with me:

Russ Boswell: Bass – www.russboswell.com
Rob Gusevs: Keyboards
John Johnson: Woodwinds, EWI
Rick Shadrach Lazar: Percussion
Bruce Cassidy: Trumpet and EVI – www.brucecassidymusic.com
Greg Kavanagh: Guitars – www.gregkavanagh.com
Bob DiSalle: Drums

Stay tuned…more videos will be posted down the road…

Enjoy!

Hennie

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in New releases, Videos | 27 Comments »

New album out June 29th, remix, twitter, video and more….

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

’Moving On’ – out June 29th!

Many of you have been waiting for my new album ’Moving On’ – after all, it’s been a year since I announced the release! After my concert last May, I was inspired to add a few new ideas and tracks to the album. The good news is, ’Moving On’ is finally complete, and the release date has been set…the album will be available on June 29th!

Remix!

I’ve teamed up with renowned UK producer Robbie Bronnimann (Howard Jones’ producer and remixer) to remix one of the tracks from Moving On – it’s a “euphoric trance” remix of the track called ’Freefall’. You’ll find that the remix is very different from my more relaxing and ambient material, but the piano melody from the track ’Freefall’ really works well, and Robbie’s done a great job. It’s a great summer track, so hopefully you’ll enjoy it. The track will be out tomorrow Monday 31st May, and for those of you on my list, stay tuned for a nice surprise. I’ll also be posting a blog on the idea behind the remix on my official blog so those of you that are used to my more relaxing stuff will get an idea of why this all makes sense.

Twitter!

I’ve finally set up my own Twitter feed and will be doing my best to post regular updates…follow me at twitter.com/henniebekker

Videos!

I’ve received many requests for videos from the May 2009 concert and have good news to share: After a lot of time spent with my editor, and working on the crucial sound mix, we will soon be posting videos including two tracks from ’Moving On’, and a song from my 2009 African Tapestries release ’Amani’.

If you haven’t already checked it out, log on to my Youtube channel where you can view the latest relaxation video that I shot during my New Years holiday in Ixtapa Mexico last December.

Web updates and more….

You’ll see more exciting news in the next few weeks. My team has been working hard on revamping my website and adding features to my Official Facebook and MySpace pages that will make my music available as individual tracks and album downloads, and I’ll let you know when it’s all ready. We’ve also signed a deal with a digital distributor that will be making my music available on all of the major music sites (including iTunes, Amazon mp3 and Napster) in the coming months, so no matter where you live, you’ll be able to enjoy it.

Till next week, be well, and stay tuned!

Hennie

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Announcements | No Comments »