SA’s Nibs van der Spuy releases Maiden of the River album

Van der Spuy produced the album while Mærçk Haxo recorded and engineered it. It was mixed and mastered by Brent Quinton. The album features guest appearances by Guy Buttery (sitar), Mark Kilian (esraj), Shane Cooper (upright bass), Julian Redpath (vocals and atmospherics), Clare Vandeleur (cello) and Quinton Song (flute).

“One could feel the memories of years gone by mixed with elements of nature in the present, and the power of the Creator orchestrating the magic of song,” Van der Spuy said. “It was also a time when I was missing my mother thousands of miles away in Africa but had the comfort and ever presence of our Blessed Mother.”

The 10-track record was written during lockdown on the Lisbon coast in Portugal. It conveys a deep message of hope, deliverance and healing in a world that is off balance.

“The first lockdown in early 2020 was the longest time I spent on my own,” he said. “I had just arrived back at my second new home outside Lisbon, and the musical ideas just effortlessly began to flow, almost in perfect sync to the different emotions people were going through.

“People really started to look inward and to the source and to things, which really mattered. I escaped after dark each night on my bike with my guitar and found a quiet spot on the steps of an 18C chapel, perched on top of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. With people locked indoors and cars off the road, creation really began to sing. The bird calls were more pronounced, and the symphony of the ocean’s roar was joyous.”

Van der Spuy is currently performing across South Africa to celebrate the release of his new album.

The remaining tour dates are as follows:

• Die Ou Pastorie, Skeerpoort, North West (8 May).
• Slouw, Potchefstroom, North West (14 May)
• Music in the Hills (MITH), Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal (18 May).
• Zululand Yacht Club, Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal (19 May).
• Westville Theatre Club, Westville, KwaZulu-Natal (20 May).
• St. Clements, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (21 May).
• Mushroom Farm, Howick, KwaZulu-Natal (4 June).

Listen to and purchase Maiden of the River here.