New episode of the podcast: with Dani Ngwenya of Township guitars

Cape Town, the V&A Waterfront: Sheri and I are killing time as we wait for the departure of our boat to Robben Island to visit Nelson Mandela’s prison cell. We turn a corner in the huge indoor market and there they are.

I’d read about them, but never seen them for real. I felt like a kid in a candy store.

The man in the shop smiled. He knew what I was feeling. You don’t have to be a great player to appreciate the coolest guitar in the world. “Can I try?” I said. The man nodded, “Sure man.”

I was about to join the list of people who had played a ‘Township guitar’. (Bruce Spingsteen, Bono- U2, Brian May, Roger Taylor, Peter Gabriel, Dave Mathews, Dozi, David Kramer, Neo Mnyunga- Black sunshine, Chris Rea, Mark Knopfler, David Knopfler, SpyraGyra, Rob Harris- Jamiroquai, Chad Hollistar, and many more own a Township guitar.)

That was the first time I met Dani Ngwenya and his Township guitars, live in person. Of all the people I have interviewed, none surpass Dani’s passion, dedication and love for his life and work.

But his story is about so much more than the ‘musical works of art’ he and his team hand-make.

Dani’s story inextricably links with the early Khoisan African tribes. It is a story about freedom, self expression and the commitment to playing life to the beat of your own drum, the rhythm of your own guitar.

🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸🇿🇦🎸

End note: Those who know me know I am a big fan of supporting ‘small business’. The pandemic has decimated many. We all suffer, but some, depending on their circumstances, feel this cut more deeply than others.

South Africa is a country still very much trying to ‘find its feet’, politically and financially. It's people suffer from decisions and actions in which they have little say. This is not a political footnote, it’s a human one. Please do your best to share the word of Township guitars. It would be one of life’s great travesties to visit Cape Town, round the corner in the Waterfront market, and find that Dani and his Township Guitars are gone.

#music #southafrica #capetown

(I apologise for the sound quality of this episode, I try my best to get you the best audio each time. Sometimes though you have to take your opportunity to speak to someone when time, and life, allows. I hope you'll agree that it's better to listen to Dani on 'average' audio than not to listen at all.)

As ever, I hope you love this episode, and please take the time to share it with someone you think might benefit.

Until next time.

Lots of love.

Matt and the team x 😊🙏🏻🙏🏻

Here's the link:

https://anchor.fm/matt5325/episodes/Conversations-with-Buddhist-Millionaires-with-Dani-Ngwenya-from-Township-guitars-e125ket

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