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- A Stuijt
- Retired South African medical journalist, ex-Sunday Times of Johannesburg.
Clint Eastwood picks SA boyband to sing Mandela movie sound-track
10:55 | 
Posted by
A Stuijt |
Famous Hollywood movie producer and actor Clint Eastwood has reportedly chosen a seven-member South African boyband, “Overtone” to sing the sound-track for his next movie, which deals with the World Cup rugby tournament of 1995. Rapport journalist Gavin Prins writes from Cape Town that Overtone was spotted by Eastwood’s wife Dina when she attended their whacking good tribute to the late singer Freddy Mercury, in their show ‘The Killer Queen’. see . Publicity pictures on this page from their website. Order their latest CD from claw@global.co.za
Mandela biographic movie:
Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood and co-producer/star Morgan Freeman, 71, who plays ex-President Nelson Mandela in the new Eastwood film “The Human Factor” are shooting the movie in South Africa right now. Co-star Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar, the Afrikaner captain of the 1995 South African rugby team that took the World rugby cup and 'capped Mandela's miraculous 10-year effort to bring 43-million South Africans together in an enduring bond,' according to the pre-publicity blurb for this movie.Set for release in December, the film is based on the book "Playing the enemy" by John Carlin.
‘Just very darn good…’
This drop-dead good looking group of seven South African youths sing acappella-style, which is much loved in Africa. They sing in English and also a wide Afrikaans-language repertoire. The seven members of Overtone are: Emile Welman (tenor), Eduard Janse van Rensburg (counter-tenor), Ruan van Zyl (baritone), Shane Smit (baritone), Ernie Bates (tenor), Valentino Ponsonby (beat box, percussion and sequences) and Riaan Weyers (bass).
Replicate the instruments…
Overtone's vocal range extends far beyond the usual boy-band harmonies: they don't just sing without instruments, they replicate the instruments, and the result is a highly creative and engaging musical tapestry.
Top Cape Town art critic Ruth Cooper of BizLounge recently described the unknown group as ‘just very darn good. 'They have a great chemistry on stage and expertly weave harmonies and beat boxing together to capture the essence of Mercury. The boys performed all the major hits from Radio Gaga to Bohemian Rhapsody some without musical backing and some with a live band. It was most definitely the acappella performances that were the most impressive and allowed the band to truly show off their skills, their performances are so layered that one never really notices the lack of musical instruments. And I just can't seem to get “She's a Killer Queeeaan, Gunpowder, Gelatine, Dynamite with a laser beam...” out of my head (what a great song),’ writes Cooper.
Eastwood is in South Africa at the moment to shoot his latest movie with actor Morgan Freeman. The relatively unknown Overtone boy band’s spokesman, Eduard Janse van Rensburg, said that after their show in the New Space theatre in Cape Town was seen by Dina Eastwood, she had spontaneously booked the entire theatre for a command performance the very next day -- and had brought all the actors and crew of the new Eastwood movie to see them perform.
“It was very exciting,’ says Eduard. “After the show, actor Morgan Freeman went home, but the rest of the actors stayed behind to talk to us, and we gave Clint one of our CDs’.
The following day, they received the call which might change their lives forever: Eastwood asked them if they could sing all the music for his movie. They are in Cape Town right now, recording their songs such as ‘World in Union, Shosholoza and the beautiful African hymn which became a part South Africa’s national anthem, Nkosi Sikelei’iAfrika. (God protect Africa). “Clint also wants us to sing some of the other songs (on the CD), said Janse van Rensburg in his interview with Rapport.
sources:
http://jv.news24.com/Rapport/Suid-Afrika/0,,752-2460_2507249,00.html
http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Enemy-Nelson-Mandela-Nation/dp/1594201749
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/433/33758.html
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Attacked pensioners want 3 molesters in jail
April 25 2009. RAPPORT journalist René-Jean van der Berg reports about the deep anger of an elderly couple of Krugersdorp, retired lawyer Johan van Oudtshoorn, 69, and wife Donna, 60, who were allegedly attacked on 14 March 2009 while field-cycling near the Sterkfontein caves in the Cradle of Mankind historic nature reserve. One of the three motorbikers who allegedly attacked them has now been arrested in connection with two assault charges and destruction of property lodged by the couple. Mr Van Oudtshoorn, pictured left just after the assaults, was repeatedly kicked and beaten by three men, as was his wife Donna, according to the court records.
The alleged accused, realtor Harry Gross, 52, (picture from his Randfontein real estate company’s website) appeared at the Krugersdorp magistrate’s court after his arrest on Tuesday. He was granted R1,000 bail and the case was postponed for trial on a later date. Police say they are still trying to find the other two suspects.
While in custody, Gross allegedly refused to reveal the names of his two fellow motorbikers who had also assaulted the elderly Afrikaans couple. Gross, of Exequity Realtors, telephone 278 8144, cell 082 322 1391, Email : harry@exequity.co.za in Randfontein, was not asked to plead to any charges, according to the court records.
The court records also indicate that these charges involve two complaints of assault, and destruction of property. He was traced by police through his motorbike’s registration number, police said. Mr Gross has been asked to comment on the contents of this article.
The Van Oudtshoorn couple said they wouldn’t rest until their other two attackers also were put behind bars. (Picture right by Rapport photographer Herman Verwey) http://jv.news24.com/Rapport/Suid-Afrika/0,,752-2460_2507138,00.html
According to the court records, the two elderly victims told the magistrate during Gross’ first court appearance ‘that they wouldn’t rest until the other two motorbikers who attacked us are also arrested… ‘I want their lives to become uncomfortable for what they have done to us…’ Van Oudtshoorn was quoted as saying.
Gross was granted bail of R1,000 and the case was postponed to a later, still to be determined date. Police says he still refuses to tell them the names of his accomplices, and they are still investigating.
The Van Oudtshoorns – who have been keen field-cyclists for years – were cycling near the Sterkfontein caves in the 
Krugersdorp region when they were overtaken by a fast-riding pod of 15 motorbikers. One of them lost control of his bike after passing them, and landed in a ditch.
He and his wife have been lodging formal complaints for years about the plague of motorbikers terrorising the field-bikers on these narrow trails. So the couple ‘said something’ to the group as they cycled past the men while their uninjured comrade and his bike were being retrieved from the ditch. “We said some words’, said Van Oudtshoorn.
Three of the motorbikers then went into pursuit of the old cyclists. “Gross was the first one to hit and kick us,’ said Van Oudtshoorn. His two fellow bikers followed suit. “I was on the ground, and they repeatedly kicked me in my face, my head, my chest and ribs’. Donna tried to stop the men from attacking her husband, but she also was thrown to the ground and kicked. During the struggle, Van Oudtshoorn also somehow lost his handgun, which he always carries with him. It’s been missing ever since, he says. .http://jv.news24.com/Rapport/Suid-Afrika/0,,752-2460_2507138,00.html