Downtime: Blues queen

DESTINY chats to Canadian-born, Cape Town-based singer/songwriter Natasha Meister.

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MEISTERPIECE

Blues singer Natasha Meister shares her thoughts on SA, performing and more...

Why did you move to SA?
I’m actually Canadian-born and I’d never been to SA until I moved here with my parents four years ago. My parents retired back in Canada when I finished high school and then my South African mother wanted to return to her home country, so I tagged along – and I’m very happy to be here!

What do you love most about performing live?
I love the rush I get from it. I always feel a bit nervous when I first get on stage, but that gets my blood pumping and once I ease into it, it feels really good to be up there in front of a supportive crowd. I have a lot of fun doing what I love.

Do you prefer small, intimate venues or a big concert venue?
I like both. At small, intimate venues the crowd’s generally very attentive and I feel like I can get personal with them and have a conversation. But I enjoy big concert vibes too because I can have so much fun on stage and it’s a great feeling playing to thousands of people.

How do you feel about being the first Fender-endorsed female musician in the whole of Africa?
I feel very honoured to have Fender on my team. To be put up there with guitar heroes such as Dan Patlansky, Albert Frost and Richard Pryor, who are also endorsed by Fender SA, is a big accomplishment for me. I’m very grateful.

What do you enjoy most about working with Bashew and Tizzard?
Their sense of humour and the fact that they’re down to earth. They’re also very easy to work with because they’re seasoned musicians.
Do you plan to tour Jo’burg anytime soon? A Jo’burg tour is certainly on the books. Hopefully, it will still happen this year or early next year… I’ll keep everyone posted. We’ll have to plan a countrywide tour soon!

To read the full version of this story go to page 139 of the June issue of DESTINY