ANAPIX: Hilton Schilder Goema Group

By Ian Landsberg Last updated May 10, 2021

Hilton Schilder, composer, musician, multi instrumentalist, artist, writer and raconteur par excellence! He grew up in a well known musical family from Wynberg, moving to Lotus River on the Cape Flats, Cape Town. Encouraged by his father, jazz pianist, band leader and composer Tony Schilder, Hilton started playing drums at the age of 3 years old. This musical journey has seen Hilton playing more than 15 conventional and indigenous instruments, internationally, for over 4 decades.Besides the encouragement from his family of top performing musicians, his exposure to musicians like Russell Herman and others helped start many trajectories of musical and creative discovery.Besides being a solo musician, in the 1980s he founded The Genuine’s with Mac McKenzie, a Goema and multi genre musician.Hilton was also the band leader of ‘African Dream’ and ‘Iconoclast’ with Victor Ntoni, Khaya Mlangu andVusi Khumalo, and was invited by Robbie Jansen to join the ‘Sons of Table Mountain’. With his own bands he has performed at multiple International Jazz Festivals, and has toured with Johannes Enders.His album, ‘No Turning Back’ (2003), was nominated in the “best contemporary jazz album” category atthe South African Music Awards. He co-founded the duo ‘Rock Art’ with Alex van Heerden, an acousticand electronic minimal jazz album. He has worked with The District Six Band, and The Goema Captains of Cape Town, The Goema Kings with Harold Japhta amongst many others.In 2008 he was artist in residence at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland.Hilton is a prolific composer and is currently busy with his 43 rd album and his passion project, The Hilton Schilder Goema Club.His compositions and arrangements expands this phenomenal musical journey, this while passing onthe cultural baton to an exhilarating group of professional, session musicians.Carlo Fabe on drums and Sean Sanby on double bass complete the melodically invigorating and throbbing rhythm section led by the ebullient Hilton on piano.This rhythm section is elevated by a highly professional, well rehearsed and tightly arranged horn section, weaving energized solos from these irresistible melodies with Byron Abrahams on tenor saxophone, Duncan Johnson on alto & baritone saxophones, Muneeb Hermans on trumpet and Lezaam Beets on trombone.To extend their collective musical identity and to share musical growth and encourage cultural development, Hilton and this energy infused super group have invited a young student, Clayton Pretorius on electric bass to share his exciting talent on two songs.The ensemble and performers celebrate and reminds of living legendary musicians and bands like Abdullah Ibrahim, Mac Mckenzie, The Genuine’s, The Goema Captains, Ian Herman, Gerard O’brien, Tony Cedras, Mervyn Africa, Alvin Dyers, Spencer Mbadu, Steven Erasmus, Jack Momple, Allou April and are also reminiscent of the ever lingering musical spirits of Robbie Jansen, Basil ‘Mannenberg’ Coetzee, Errol Dyers, Russell Herman, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Duke and Ezra Ngcukana…amongst many others.Performances are held at multiple indoor and outdoor venues to ensure that a safe amount of people are adhering to our 5 point COVID-19 safety protocols.Ian Landsberg captured them on Friday, 7 May where they performed live at Hilton Schilder Goema Ensemble. Edited by Ian Landsberg

Cape Town. 07052021. Musician and composer par excellence Hilton Schilder with the Hilton Shilder Goema Group mesmerising audiencewith their exquisite performance on Friday evening at the Summit Club in the Castle of Good Hope. Picture : Ian Landsberg/ African News Agency (ANA).

Cape Town. 07052021. Musician and composer par excellence Hilton Schilder with the Hilton Schilder Goema Group mesmerised audience during the exquisite performance on Friday evening at the Summit Club in the Castle of Good Hope. Picture : Ian Landsberg/ African News Agency (ANA).