I remember sitting in the Luxurama at the age of 12, watching the Malay choirs.
At that time, the Juvenile item was quite competitive because it is the item which showcases the stars of tomorrow, and a young man called Faseegh de Villiers was at the top of the game.
He inspired me on that day with his heartfelt rendition of My Moeder, which I could tell he sang from his heart, and which made it more than just a good technical performance.
So when I got a call from one of his brothers to do a show for this young man, I could not refuse.
So this coming Friday, one of the biggest variety concerts will take place at Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone.
The show is titled Faseegh and Friends, and it is a get-together of some of the best local talent and to help bring back one of Cape Town’s favourite sons onto the scene.
SHOW: Faseegh and Friends at Joseph Stone. Photo: Supplied.
Faseegh was known to audiences back in the day as the wonder boy because he started making headlines since an early age.
Like most Cape Malay artists, he started singing in the Malay choirs and klopse.
And he holds an impressive record of 21 Juvenile wins in these two cultural competitions, meaning he has never lost a competition.
He also won the Westgate Mall Voice Search competition and went on to become the lead singer of the local boy band, Dejavu.
He disappeared from the entertainment scene about five years ago but is now hoping to come back with a bang.
So he has gathered some of his relatives and best friends to help host and produce this weekend’s production.
I love these kinds of shows because it shows the respect and camaraderie among our own artists.
It’s more than just being a great performer, it is only when you go backstage that you see some of the best friendships being formed.
One can even say that we artists are not only friends, but family, and we are there to help each other up and not break one another down.
These are the times I love being part of this industry when you see how artists scramble to assist and make themselves available for a good cause.
BROTHERLY LOVE: Tashreeq de Villiers. Photo: Supplied.
The star-studded line-up for Saturday includes Faseegh’s brother Tashreeq de Villiers, who recently starred in two sold-out productions, the musicals Satins to Sequins and Marc Lottering’s Aunty Merle: The Musical.
There will also be a performance by Dejavu which includes members Tariq, Reza, and Faizel.
MC Ashley will be there to entertain you and introduce the likes of Ashur Petersen, Madeegha Anders, Shadley Schroeder, Broetjie, Zan, Allen the car guard, Cass Isaacs, Yuzriq Meyer and yours truly.
From what I can see, Faseegh is still that same gentle and humble performer he always was.
Vocally he is still one of the best, and his fantastic on-stage charm reminds me a lot of the late great Zayn Adam.
When I first met him, he was bashful and shy, but once the rehearsals kicked in, Faseegh lit up like the star that he is. He just has that X-factor.
So don’t miss out on this chance to catch all this great local talent on one stage.
Tickets cost R100 and the show starts at 8 pm.
For tickets contact 078 982 3696 or 076 238 6935.