TWO events made the marquee at the Pecanwood October Fest billow on
Saturday.
The first was the yells of the rugby fans as that last-second
penalty kick of Patrick Lambie sailed over.
The second was the screams of the girls as the petite and bearded
finance director of Green Pop, Jeremy Hewitt (30) appeared on stage.
For Hewitt is better known as Jeremy Loops, a loop artist who
“tries to connect with as many individuals, one person at a time, the way only
music allows” to further the aims of his tree planting organisation,
Greenpop.
Started in September 2010 by Hewitt, Greenpop has planted well over
17 000 trees at over 200 venues, from crèches to old-age homes as well as
deforested areas.
When not planting trees, Hewitt works hard to make environmental
care a cool thing to do. His Loops persona won the solo artist 2013 MK Award and between touring South Africa, the musician from Cape Town also recorded his debut album "Trading
Change" in London with collaborators, rapper Motheo Moleko and saxophonist
Jamie Faull.
None of this mattered to the adoring fans at the annual beerfest,
each of whom found his or her own rhythm to the syncopated beats which Loops
records live on stage and then loops using some fancy footwork on a row of
pedals.
When Faull blew his horn high and sharp to the skies on an
impromptu jam, the arms of the girls on the guys’ shoulders swept along; when
Loops strummed the chords for his radio hit "Down
South", they provided the chorus. And when Moleko growled the first lyrics
of the ultimate boy-meets-girl anthem "Running
Away", security had to ask the groupies to back off.
Moleko told The
Witness the song was alas not inspired by a real life romance, but when
they were just talking during a rehearsal and realised the topic was waiting to
be turned into a song. We asked Loops and Moleko to complete the sentence, “Cape
Town is home, London is huge, but KZN is…?”
Between signing CDs — and the odd cleavage — and posing for photos, Loops said “immense”
and Moloko added “insane”.
The trio will be back in KZN at the Durban Botanical Gardens on
November 22.
More on durbanbotanicgardens.org.za.
