Guy Buttery

As You Drive About 13 Miles North Of Durban The Largest City In The Province Of Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa You Pass A Lush Fertile Belt Where The Rich Green Shades Of The Sugar Cane Meet The Turquoise Of The Indian Ocean. This Is Where On The 26th November 1983 Guitarist And Composer Guy Buttery Was Born And Raised In A Small Coastal Town Along The North Coast. This Is A Place Of Enchantment Freedom Promise And Where The Creative Spirit Takes Charge. Besides Being Introduced To Music At An Early Age Through His Mother Who Plays The Piano And His Older Brothers Who Played Guitar The Muse Naturally Took Hold Of Guy When He Was Ten. It Wasn’t Out Of Peer Pressure But Out Of The Necessity To Liberate The Creative Whirlwind Which Was Ever Prevalent During Those Early Years. Just Think About It. As Rich As The Soil For His Feet To Stand On You Had Local Zulu Tribesmen Playing Their Brand Of Music Known As Maskanda On Finger-Picked Oil Drum Guitars. They Were Our Blues Men Or Wandering Storytellers Which Hollered Their Song Into A Young Buttery’s Heart. Across The Valley The Sounds Of Tabla And Sitar Could Be Heard From One Of The Many Indian Hindu Temples Bringing A Diversity Of Colour Spirit And Enlightenment Into Such An Enquiring Mind. Back In The Buttery Household The Sounds Of The Doors Led Zeppelin Dylan And Bob Marley Made Their Way Into The Teenager’s Songbook. Practising Hour’s Everyday On His Older Brothers ‘hand Me Down’ Sae Han Guitar These Icons Opened Doorways And Liberated Guy’s Spirit. During These Formative Years He Got An Understanding Of Rock And Folk Harmonies Almost Serving An Apprenticeship For Greater Things To Come. When The Guitar Was Put Down The Inspiration Was Continually Diverted And Fed Through The Physical. Exploring The Lush Cane Fields And Living In The Coastal Forests Building Secret Tree Houses And Surfing The Warm Indian Ocean Currents Only Added To The Deep Well Of Inspiration. Many A Profound Event Happened During These Times. After Hearing John Paul Jones’ Mandolin On Zeppelin’s “Battle Of Evermore” Buttery Acquired A Mandolin And With The Influence Of Ravi Shankar Being So Close To Home Purchased A Sitar From One Of The Local Indian Music Shops. At The Age Of 13 Buttery Was Introduced To Classical Harmony Through His First Guitar Teacher Leandros Stavrou. The Quest For New Musical Boundaries Was Inevitable And Through Friend Guitar Teacher And Present Collaborator Nibs Van Der Spuy Guy Was Introduced To Fingerstylist Extraordinaire Michael Hedges. This Only Ignited The Flame Even Bigger. Guy Then Went On To Study Jazz At The Kwa-Zulu Natal Technikon And Later On At The Durban School Of Music To Reunite With Leandros Stavrou To Further His Classical Training. Soon After The Boundaries Were Pushed Even Wider By Hearing The Music Of Oregon Ralph Towner Steve Reich Egberto Gismonti And John Coltrane To Name A Few. After Opening A Concert In Early 2001 For Well Known Mozambican Musician Gito Baloi And Nibs Van Der Spuy Both Musicians Were Dumb Struck At The Virtuosity Coming From The Fingers Of The 17 Year Old. Not Being Able To Ignore This Enormous Talent It Was Not Long Before Buttery Sealed A Deal With South African World/Jazz Label Sheer Sound. His Debut Album “When I Grow Up…” Was Released In Late 2002 To Great Critical Acclaim. Comprising Of Highly Original Self Written Acoustic Fingerstyle Compositions Guy Buttery Was The Youngest Nominee In The History Of The SAMA’s South African Music Awards Of The Same Year. He Was Nominated In Both ‘Best Instrumental Album Of The Year’ And ‘Best Newcomer For 2002’ At The Tender Age Of 18. After Creating Such A Unique Hybrid Fingerstyle Technique Using Both Hands On The Fret Board Creating Polyphonic Percussive And Harmonic Textures It Wasn’t Long Before He Caught The Attention Of A Loyal Cult Following. This In Turn Translated Into Being Invited To All The Prestigious Music Festivals Throughout South Africa And Mozambique. The Tapestry Of Sounds And Stylistic Influences Coming From His Guitar Never Seem To Be Exhausted. Just When You Think The Journey Is Over He Will Start Playing A Beautiful Rendition Of One Of His Favourite South African Composers. Be It Vusi Mahlasela Tony Cox Or Steve Newman Buttery Never Loses Sight Of Where He Comes From And The Rich Local Influences All Around Him. Exciting Times Lie Ahead For This Local Giant. 2005 Saw The Release Of His Follow Up Album “Songs From The Cane Fields” Which Was Once Again Nominated At The SAMA’s For ‘Best Instrumental Album’. The Music Speaks Of An Unbounded Freedom Where The Landscape Meets The Indian Ocean. The Inspiration Clearly Speaks Of Anguish From Days Gone By The Unleashed Joy Of New Beginnings And Spirit Of Travel Along Ancient African Footpaths. The Album Is An Ode To His Rich Surroundings Yet Ironically Will Be The Creative Spring-Board That Ultimately Catapults Him To Far Away Nations So All Can Share In Such A Rich Talent. The Period Following His Sophomore Release Interspersed With Exotic Travel Destinations And New Found Instruments Were Times For Branching Out Of The Solo Field Into Various Interesting And Historical Collaborations. Having Completed Numerous Tours Around South Africa Mozambique Swaziland Australia England Ireland Wales Northern Ireland Italy Seychelles And The USA Guy Has Performed Supported Recorded And Toured With Many African Greats As Well As Many Artists On The International Field Such As Vusi Mahlasela Missy Higgins The Violent Femmes Piers Faccini Jethro Tull Madala Kunene Greg Georgiades Brendan Jury Landscape Prayers Chris Letcher Nibs Vd Spuy Kesivan Naidoo Farryl Purkiss Shawn Phillips Valiant Swart Steve Newman And Many Others. As You Listen To The Creative Genius Of Music-Making Whirlwind Guy Buttery You Can’t Escape The Feeling That This Extraordinary Musician Has A Mind Of A Prophet And The Musical Prowess Of A Guru. Listen & Buy Guy Buttery’s CD’s Online Www.Guitarcds.Net
www.Kalahari.Net Contact Angela Harwood Artist Management Buttery@iafrica.Com 2782 474 0326 ACCOLADES Guy's Debut Album "When I Grow Up..." Was Nominated For 'Best Instrumental Album Of The Year' And 'Best Newcomer For 2002' For The South African Music Awards SAMA's . In 2003 The South African Rock Digest Nominated “When I Grow Up..." As One Of The Top Albums Of The Year. 2006 Saw Guy Releasing A New Album "Songs From The Cane Fields" Which Was Also Up Against The Country's Finest And Was Nominated For A South African Music Award For 'Best Instrumental Album Of The Year'. REVIEWS "...I Closed My Eyes And Imagined A Small Band Of Wizened African Minstrels That Might Be Playing Strange Esoteric Instruments. When I Opened My Eyes Guy Buttery Was Still There. A Lone Person Having A Conversation With Wood And Steel." - The Saturday Independent Album Of The Week “Guy Buttery’s Goal Is To Stretch The Boundaries Of Fingerstyle Guitar To Their Outermost Limits. ‘Songs From The Cane Fields’ Is The Most Diverse And Intriguing Fingerstyle Album In Recent Memory.”
- Guitar Player Magazine
USA’s Leading Guitar Magazine “I Am Moved By Guy Buttery's Musical Language And Journey This Musician From South Africa Is Painting A Framework Transforming His Roots And The Richness Of His Mixed Culture Into An Inspired Language That Has Become Very Personal And Yet Universal. This Is Touching Refreshing And Amazing To Witness. Thank You For His Intoxicating Joy And May His Voyage Be As Rich And Exciting As A Long Life Melody."
- Pierre Bensusan World Renowned Acoustic Guitarist "In A Country With A Vast Dearth Of Fingerstyle Guitarists Guy Buttery Does My Heart Fiercely Proud. He Is Part Of The Next Wave Of Young Guitar Players Who Stands Out Head And Shoulders Above The Rest. With Music At Once Uncompromising Yet Intensely Passionate And Articulate Guy Is On A Major Guitar Roll - May It Roll Long And Wide!" - Tony Cox Winner Of Numerous National Music Awards World Renowned Acoustic Guitarist "...The Concluding Piece "Self Portrait" A Meandering Amalgam Of Harmonics Tapping And Picking - Like Something You Might Play Sitting Around Some Sunday Afternoon On The Porch. That Is If You Had The Chops Guy Buttery Does." - Minor7th Webzine America's Biggest Acoustic Guitar Reviewer "I Am Honored That Guy Sites Me As An Influence. His Music Has A Very Strong Heart. The Passion Comes Through Like A Tidal Wave." - Richard Leo Johnson World Renowned Acoustic Guitar Fingerstylist "At Once Sparse And Perfectly Complete Buttery Sings With His Guitar Previously Unspoken Words That Are Almost A Language Unto Themselves. There Is The Echo Of The Zulu Guitar The Resonance Of An Emotional Investment In Landscape And The Insular Imaginative Mind Of A Talented Young Man." - The Independent On Saturday "Unorthodox Twenty-Something Durban Musician Guy Buttery On Only His Second Release Throws Down The Gauntlet With An Album Of Incredible Versatility And Imagination. There Are Times When It Sounds As If There’s A Seven-Piece Band Backing Guy Buttery So Complex And Rich Is The Sound But It’s Just Him And His Acoustic Guitar Exploring Myriad Textures And Rhythms With An Ingenious Imagination And Scant Regard For Music Industry Rules. It’s The Kind Of Album That Reveals Something New At Every Turn The Kind Of Album That Never Gets Old Or Outstays Its Welcome." - Craig Canavan JHB Live "South African Acoustic Guitar Prodigy Guy Buttery Follows Up On The SAMA-Nominated Success Of His Début Album With Another Impressively Original Instrumental Songbook. Impressionist Solo Guitar Sketches Open Up Into Pastoral Tone Poems Classical Folk And Bluegrass Filters And Even A Gentle Psyche Sitar Improvisation. Meanwhile Duo Settings With Violinist Angus Kerr And Slide Guitarist Nibs Van Der Spuy Provide A Fluid Counterfoil To Buttery's More Oblique Instrumental Architectures. But It's In His Unconventional Classical Piano/guitar Constructions "Renwot" With Upright Bassist Ellis Pearson "Mad Scientist Ritual" With Guitarist Barry Corden Where Discerning Listeners Can Fully Navigate The Micro-Tonalities And Modal Harmonic Seduction Of Buttery's Idiosyncratic Approach To His Instrument. And To Think All Of This Was Recorded In His Lounge..." - Miles Keylock CD Wherehouse Listen And Buy Guy Buttery's CD’s Online Www.Kalahari.Net
www.Guitarcds.Net For More Info On Guy's Music Go To Www.Guybuttery.Co.Za
www.Myspace.Com/guybuttery Contact Howard Butcher Artist Management Buttery@iafrica.Com read less