HA! English press releases

PRACTISING A LOST ART

(341 words)

Francois le Roux, perhaps better known by his stage name, the "HA!Man," was a musical prodigy and at age ten already had a post as a church organist in Johannesburg. He was classically trained in piano and cello, but improvised on the piano since age four and has eventually decided to make spontaneous music the core of his career. Coming from a conservative religious background, he did two years of military service and finished his BA degree in theological studies and philosophy at Stellenbosch University. During this time, his outlook on life and on South African politics changed dramatically. As the country moved away from control by rational design towards participatory politics and the recognition of people's feelings, the focus of his music moved away from the deference towards composed works, to music that springs from the heart and happens organically in real time. The art was to balance structure and accessibility with the freedom of self-expression and inner feeling. From playing on the streets of Cape Town, this journey took him over two decades to many parts of the world with numerous performances each year, workshops for all ages and collaborative and inter-disciplinary projects.

His cello playing remains largely improvised and he has imbued its technique with vibrant elements drawn from African music, a humourous playfulness and an emotive intensity rarely found. At the same time, he brings the structural solidity of a composer into the moment of creation and is intent on raising the profile of this lost art. Through his workshops, brings spontaneous creativity to people across the board, from corporate to townships to the disabled, relying on personal networking rather than external management. He has been artist in residence at a number of high profile events, including the Prince of Whales Business and Environment Programme and has recently directed a festival concert at the Voortrekker Monument, marking its 60th anniversary, where he introduced the notion to Afrikaners that a culture that can make peace with its own strengths and weaknesses, is a culture that can share itself with others.

A UNIQUE ARTISTIC JOURNEY

(458 words)

Francois le Roux is a classically trained cellist and pianist, but his musical journey started at age three, started to improvise at the piano, stimulated by his father's way of playing by ear. Since age ten he served as a church organist and composed his first orchestral work at thirteen. His creativity also expanded to other mediums. A a poem he wrote at 16 was used as a central sample of youthful creativity in a doctoral thesis at the University of Johannesburg. After studies in philosophy and theology, he left the formal music environment to become the "HA!Man," fully devoting his time and career to the development of spontaneous expression (HA!) as an art form, based on a particular life philosophy, in order to restore and retain a certain vitality in music. Over the last 32 years, this path took him all over South Africa and then also internationally as he played and workshopped his self-managed way from person to person, audience to audience and place to place. To categorize his musical style is hardly possible, but it certainly incorporates strong elements of classical styles, african music and modern world-music genres. HA! performances are never in a set order and the HA!Man thrives on making art in the moment, sometimes taking impulses given by the audience or simply the feelings born from silences. At the same time he is noted for the strong structural dimension to his improvisations which sets it aside from typical "jamming" or formless wandering often associated with "free" expression. His cello forms the centre of a stage setup that is supported by original and varied electronic accompaniments, keyboard playing, dances. conversation and more. Each performance becomes a spontaneous creation in itself as all these elements weave into a whole that moves and often bring audiences from all walks of life to their feet.

He maintains a keen interest in world and human affairs, having been shaped by the momentous changes in South Africa through the 80's and 90's Much of his work grapples with the relation - and the formation of relation - between right and left brain dimensions, chaos and order, Africa and Europe, nature and civilization and instinct and rationality. "HA!" actually invokes the "third dimension" of feeling which is born from the dynamic meeting point between these various opposites. In his workshops, this is facilitated so that participants discover the origins of creativity within themselves and within the flowing moment. His web site gives an account of the many types of venues he has performed in, distinguished appointments, commissions and residencies and various collaborations in different parts of the world. Consistently independent, he maintains a unique space of artistic vitality in a world dominated by expedience and the pressure to commercialize.

ACCOMPLISHED HA!MAN

(1081 words)

The HA!Man (Francois le Roux, b. 1966) has travelled an independent road as a cellist, composer and facilitator of inspirational workshops. His emphasis on spontaneous music making (hence the term HA!) has its roots in his early childhood, having constructed pieces on the piano since age four. At seven, he accompanied church songs by ear and at ten was an appointed church organist. Through his schooling years in Johannesburg he was a prominent prodigy, being trained in cello, piano, organ and composition, appearing - amongst other achievements - as a young soloist with symphony orchestras. Two years military training followed, as well as a BA cum laude in theology and philosophy at Stellenbosch University. His focus then returned to music, with an unfinished B Mus degree at UNISA and the decision to go on his own with purely improvised performances. Having wide interests, including current affairs of South Africa and the world, the historical events of 1990 to 1994 reflects in his move away from the formal music environment. His "fresh start" took him to a life with a backpack - hitch-hiking South Africa from 1995 to 1999, and his diet changed to being based on a self-grown mix of raw sprouts. His art branched into writing, drawing, dancing and performance art, all based on a strict spontaneous approach (creation out of "nothing"). A minimal income came from selling copies of handwritten poems and drawings, performing on the streets of cities and towns throughout South Africa, as well as in intimate performances at private houses.

This spell was broken in 2000 when he bought a car and computer, swiftly moving into creating electronic accompaniments for his improvising cello, the production of soundtracks and giving workshops in Spontaneous Creativity at schools. In 2001 he became the "HA!Man," the name serving to cap the identity he shaped since taking the independent road: a creator-in-the-moment, a net-worker of people and places, a proponent of three-dimensional thinking and a heart concerned with the human condition.

The "HA!Man Show" evolved into an event brimming with the energy of direct creativity, playful in its crossing of boundaries between mediums of expression (he includes the keyboard/piano, recorder, ocarinas, "cello drumming," dancing and singing) and musical styles (he has enriched his classical background with a strong dash of Africa, world musics and popular genres): exciting in its interactivity - incorporating the audience into the creative process, and impressive in its high level of skill and structural backbone. The workshops unfold uniquely with every group - from pre-school to tertiary and the corporate environment. Based on the simple, but powerful facilitation of direct creative expression, they build confidence, group sensitivity, artistic inspiration and often lead to personal catharsis. From his mobile studio, soundtracks and compositions have been flowing steadily, carrying his hallmark transporting, spirited and "un-classifiable" sounds.

He meticulously builds databases of supporters, recordings, events, writings and more. This enables him to manage his own movements, grow his own audiences and distribute his products independently. Yet he has already left a strong public mark, having performed in prominent venues like the Sandton Theatre on the Square, Evita se Perron (Darling), the Dorp Street Theatre (Stellenbosch) and coming up in 2008, a run in the Kalk Bay theatre. He has participated in minor and major festivals all over South Africa and has been appointed musical director of major events, like the the South African Woman of the Year Awards Gala (Artscape Opera, Cape Town, 2001,2) and the Ukkasie Festival main event, Royal Albert Hall (London, 2004). He has appeared with and composed for prominent names like Sibongile Khumalo (soprano), Stef Bos (singer, Belgium) and Steve Hofmeyr (singer, Afrikaans) and has been profiled and interviewed a number of times on national radio and television.

Always a keen collaborator, he has standing artistic relationships with performers like Derek Gripper, (guitar), Paul Hanmer (jazz piano) and Laura Kirsten (classical piano). Others include Eric Leonardson (electronic sound-generation, Chicago), Cathleen Schandelmeier and other Chicago poets in three multi-media productions, Jan Seiden (American Indian flutes, Baltimore), Andrew Peters (township guitarist) and Sheri Brown (Bhuto dancer, Seattle). Among many projects involving music with poetry, is a collaborative album with Carina Stander, an up and coming Afrikaans poet.

His workshops have travelled widely: schools and universities (as well as prisons and mental institutions) all over South Africa; at prestigious institutions abroad, like Princeton University, Kansas University, Soka University near Los Angeles and Sahmyook University in Seoul, Korea. A well documented 3 day artist-in-residence project was run in the Niskayuna school district, New York State in 2006. Corporate engagements include Nashua Mobile, Liberty Life, LG (Korea), Akorn Destination Management (hotel Le Meurice, Paris) and JP Morgan (London). A significant affirmation of the comprehensive competencies he has developed over the years came up in May 2008: an artist-in-residence engagement (performing, giving workshops, participating and providing creative interventions) for The Prince of Wales's Business and the Environment Programme's 5th Southern African Seminar (Cape Town). For two years now, he has also been an inspiration to the select Mandela Rhodes Scholars.

The extensive travels do not prevent him from maintaining a prolific output. Since 2000, his listed creations count in the thousands, from reocrdings, video work, self-produced CD and DVD albums, poems essays, photography and and graphic art. Notable amongst live recordings are the full-hour improvisations: organ with audience participation - SABC (Johannesburg, 1999) and St George's Cathedral (Cape Town, 2000); piano - SABC (Johannesburg 1998) and Genk (Belgium, 2007). Soundtracks completed include "Prins van Pretoria" (feature film), Andrew Buckland's "Makana," Reza de Wet's "Lake," Tanya Surtees's "Gumbo" and Peter Krummeck's production of Shakespeare's Hamlet (theatre); Gary Gordon's "Tread" and Heike Gehring's "Lady Anne" (physical theatre). He has recently completed a moving soundtrack to the global-release TV documentary about the elusive "Knysna Elephants."

In the long term his aim is to maintain the independent HA! platform and to grow it into a noticeable global channel for art that is spontaneous in the deepest sense of the word. Francois believes that in many ways, such an art can contribute to humanity's walk towards maturity, facing up to the grave challenges of our current adolescence. His South African background are also part of his inspiration, as he strongly believes that it is partly by reconnecting to our African roots that we'll be able to heal as a species. It is this HA! music from "bottom-up" that is felt in his performances, is promoted through all his activities and is hoped to be a long-lasting legacy

BROADLY BIOGRAPHICAL

(1199 words)

The HA!Man (Francois le Roux) was born from an Afrikaans preacher and his music teacher wife on the goldfields of South Africa, 1966. He was soon recognized as a child prodigy in music, improvising since the age of four. This was stimulated by his father, who played by ear. His formal musical training started with his mother and stretched into his early twenties, when he decided to focus primarily on spontaneous music making. At age ten he was appointed church organist and at eleven performed for the first time as solo cellist with orchestra. His formative years was further marked by a series of compositions and musical awards, but also chess, rugby, handiwork, scout leadership and church activities. In the heyday of Apartheid, he was called to do two years military service as an artilleryman. Afterwards, love nudged him towards Stellenbosch to study theology, in the footsteps of his father. Yet the years 1986-88 marked a deep inner shift as he simultaneously grappled with the meaning of faith, the dualistic tendencies of western thought and a state of emergency in South Africa.

He then decided to rather follow music, his passion, but could only manage half a degree when he literally hit an existential dead-end. Neither his faith, philosophy nor musical heritage sustained him in a viable manner anymore. Estranged from his past and society, he returned to the birth of his musical consciousness and took the stage with fully improvised recitals. From 1992-2000 he hitch-hiked throughout South Africa, busking on streets, performing in houses, writing, drawing, dancing and even re-interpreting the birth process in a totally naked manner. It was only in 2000 that his inner journey expended itself and he borrowed money to buy a car and a computer. He decided on the stage persona of the HA!Man: a man living and moving, driven by an impulse from within.

While studying philosophy at Stellenbosch, he already stumbled on the possibility of three-dimensional thought, thought that leads directly into feelings, reigniting the instincts. Under the cello tutelage of Dalena Roux, he discovered the way in which expression actually starts with the body and how feeling can deconstruct the mind. This journey was amplified by the political stage, where he witnessed firsthand how the raw human energy of Africa put cracks all over a de-humanizing ideological system. As he pitched his tent in wild places, the awareness deepened: how the body of humanity for ages systemized the earth and strained organic rhythms. He changed his diet towards raw fruits and sprouts. The sustained health he since enjoyed changed his view of his role as an artist: from making an impressive stand, towards acting as an anti-cancerous agent, sharing the life-blood of music to pierce through the old layers of patriarchal presumption. As his roots shot deeper into the continent of humanity's birth, his view became increasingly global, all the while failing to take any shortcut towards fame and monetary ease. His art and inspiration remained closely tied up with people, interacting on the basis of first hand experience. Experiments with being managed and employment of assistants were short-lived. Increasingly, he secured sustainability by networking expressed offers of localized support and facilitation.

Nevertheless, the main stream art world took note. Since being aided by electronic accompaniments and producing albums, soundtracks and travelling copious distances by car, the HA!Man featured in various guises in South Africa's major performance venues, national events, appeared with big name artists on stage and was profiled by television and major newspapers. His networking resulted in a steady growth towards an annual cycle of performances, workshops and collaborative projects - six months in South and southern Africa, two months in Europe, two in North America and short stops in the Mid- and Far East. To add to this gloss of success, audience feedback are peppered with comparisons of the HA!Man with the best in the world and for a number of times he has found himself on the verge of major international exposure. His decision to remain based in South Africa is therefore often questioned.

He is a headache indeed for those who require packaged information, those who seek a set purity and those who manage the latest trends. The term HA! itself was fell upon after failing to find a descriptive rational concept for the way he "be" on stage. HA! incorporates feeling and an openness to a variety of expressions, anchored in a living and lived moment. Yet, a skeleton structure remains: the HA!Man Show has the cello as anchor, draws from a library of spontaneously layered accompaniments with firm favourites, such as his songs for Africa (Her Time Has Come), South Africa (Beautiful Land) and the Afrikaner community (Afrikaner is my Naam) - showing classical, ethnic and popular influences. Improvisation on keyboard instruments is added as well as some flutes and dances. Each performance unfolds uniquely, yet always starts minimal and far away, then reaches heights of skill and experimentation and finally becomes more emotive, open to the audience, even humorous. Suitable and adaptable for almost any venue and taste, this basic format is often expanded upon by adding local guest performers, choirs and even orchestras. Workshops in spontaneous creativity prepare participants in solo and group improvisation, also covering a range of mediums beyond music (the HA!Man places special focus on working with schools and educational institutions to perform, workshop or arrange residency programmes). Work done for special projects (like music recorded with machines or animals), also get incorporated, giving further colour to the HA! experience. On the other side of the spectrum, he stays in touch with the basics through acoustic solo performances, classical recitals, improvised theatre and the nurturing of performance partnerships, both with highly accomplished and still obscure talents. He also makes room to reach out to struggling artists and remote communities, work that inspired the 2008 Prince of Whales Business and Environment Programme (Cape Town) to start a supporting fund.

Wrestling with the issues of the day has never left him. His vision is to sprout environments of artistic expression where mind meets instinct, the accomplished accommodate the lay and the privileged share with the downtrodden through the reconciliatory flow of true feeling. This cannot thrive while serving the formats and interests of the very powers that are the drive behind global crises. As an independent, he remains vulnerable, yet finds a daring strength from people from all spheres of society who have been moved and rejuvenated by moments of HA!

The intense challenge remains for any exceptional talent like his to at once survive to make its mark as well as to facilitate true empowerment. Is he perhaps creating a legacy of one, who, in this age of 'endless' growth and rapid expansion, tries - through his gift of music and expression - to reconnect the dots between a deep, mysterious past and an uncertain future? Questioning both our material and spiritual gods in order to touch on something that could be called.. human maturity? To that end, the HA! might just be well worth breathing.

Francois ie married to the Belgian artist, actress and writer, Joke Debaere. They have one daughter, Mira and are currently based in Bruges.

hamanworld.com