Publications
Partners
Cape Town – It’s almost time for the fourth annual Tribute Fest which will feature a phenomenal line-up bringing you 12 hours of music to pay tribute to some of the greatest musical legends of all time.
Taking place at Hillcrest Quarry in Durbanville on Tuesday 26 December, the bands that will be performing to honour the likes of Elvis, Neil Diamond, Tina Turner, ZZTop, Depeche Mode, Joe Cocker and many more are: Mark Haze, Patrick Canovi's “Kiss the Sky” Show Band, Music 4 the Masses, Johan Liebenberg Band, The Rivertones, James Marais, Ramaine Barreiro-Lloyd and various other collaborating artists.
Ahead of the festival we get to know Ramaine Barreiro-Lloyd, the Diva of Divas and the lady who puts the ‘Bling’ in the Queen of Bling.
With her beloved family as her very foundation, Ramaine, at the age of 5, was already performing with a live band on the nightclub circuit in Cape Town. She starred in her first major production, Bugsy Malone, at the age of 9.
At the age of 12 she joined forces with Emo Adams, Alistair Izobell and Luqmaan Adams to form the group Nu Fancy which toured South Africa along with The Rockets and PJ Powers, and went on to record an album. Known as the Tina Turner of South Africa, Ramaine Barreiro-Lloyd founded RBL Productions in 2005 and is a creative force to be reckoned with.
See our chat with Ramaine below:
How long have you been doing your Tina Turner tribute and how did it come about?
For about 17 years. I was on the Cape Town jazz circuit when a night club owner told me I sound like Tina and apparently he thought I had the legs for it... After reading her life story and seeing her movie about 67 times, she’s become part of who I am on stage.
Which is your favourite Tina Turner song to perform?
Fool In Love. It’s the perfect conundrum. Playful, happy melody but heart wrenching lyrics.
If you could meet Tina and can ask her two questions, what would it be?
Why did it take her so long to walk away from Ike even though she was a force in her own right, or didn’t she realise it at the time? She’s always kept her personal life under wraps, was that intentional after the ‘Ike saga’?
Why do you think it is important to pay tribute to the greats? Do you think SA audiences appreciate this?
Sounds cliché, but to keep real music alive, we have to! We’re lucky in today’s age if you find one song a year with solid lyrics and musicality. Where someone actually took years to write and not double the length in studio to make it sound like a song. I think it has its market in SA. But not as wide a spectrum as I would hope for. Hopefully the greats get regurgitated by the new ‘Glees’ and musicals the kids watch and even if they don’t know that it comes from years gone by, they still get exposed to it.
Any other stars that you would love to cover or meet?
Not really. Tina has always been the one. I identify with her music... with her story behind every song. I personally need to work from a story board to bring my characters to life. With Tina Turner, she has so many hits and a story behind each song, it’s hard to say that about many artists.
What are your plans for 2018?
Hopefully a prosperous year ahead. I hope to produce and choreograph a lot more in future, but for 2018, I’d like to get on stage a lot more and hopefully collaborate with like-minded artists.
Click here for all the details of Tribute Fest and to book your ticket.
