WINDHOEK– Back home briefly from her intense music studies in Cape Town, local singer/songwriter musician, Savannah Collins (19), performed a one off solo acoustic show at the Warehouse Boiler Room last Thursday night to a jam packed house.
She delivered a rock solid repertoire of some of her well known favourites original and cover songs, together with a few new pieces she has been working on since away. And to spice up the evening, she was joined on stage by guest musician and ‘maestro’ guitarist, Stefan Steyn, who put another spin on the crowd favourite ‘Hey Joe’ by Jimmy Hendrix. Now in her second year at the contemporary College of Performing Arts (COPA), where she is majoring in guitar and music studies, the young Namibian musician has developed a fond relationship with her pearl white Fender Stratocaster guitar. Her transition from her first acoustic love – a black box Ibanez, to the slender electric Fender, has been a huge test of her skills, which is proving fruitful.
Savannah is currently the only female in the higher level at COPA to have stepped up to the challenge of studying and performing electric guitar on NQF4, which is no mean feat. And while she has found herself in a male dominated world where guitar riffs and lengthy lead breaks rule, she is giving the phrase ‘girl power’ a new meaning as her fingers fly up and down guitar neck. While devoting her time to reading intricate sheets of music and broadening her ability in the field of music. Her passion for acoustic and vocals is still kept alive with hand-picked performances in between the demands of College studies, and new influences from exposure to a vibrant music scene in Cape Town, as well as attending many international visiting rock shows is adding depth to her solid foundations.
Performing her unique blend of alternative rock and home grown blues/grunge, Savannah’s ‘unplugged’ mix of original material and cover songs always draws in audiences, with her gutsy vocals and edgy stage presence, and last Thursday night was no exception as the crowd went crazy for her. Savannah has meanwhile mixed a demo CD in Cape Town, named after an original title song Be Free, which will be released after the studio work is completed. And a surprise meeting with Lady May last week has sparked off interest between the two girls to get together later in the year for a collaboration and music video – which if materialises, could be fireworks.