Guy Buttery

Bio

Considered one of the finest acoustic guitarists in South Africa, Guy Buttery's distinctive style is influenced by traditional South African instrumentation and his upbringing in rural KZN. After opening a concert in early 2001 for Gito Baloi and Nibs van der Spuy, both musicians were dumbstruck at his virtuosity. He soon signed to Sheer Sound, who released his debut album, 'When I Grow Up', in late 2002. Buttery was nominated for both Best Instrumental Album and Best Newcomer in 2002 at the tender age of 18.

After creating a unique hybrid fingerstyle technique using both hands on the fretboard, creating polyphonic, percussive and harmonic textures, it wasn’t long before this “one man guitar orchestra” gained a loyal following, with frequent invites to perform in Europe, the UK and the US. He second album, 'Songs from the Cane Fields' (2005) was followed by 'Fox Hill Lane' (2009), which won a SAMA for Best Instrumental Album in 2010. His next two releases, 'To Disappear in Place' (2011) and 2012’s 'In the Shade of the Wild Fig' (with frequent collaborator Nibs van der Spuy) were both nominated in the same category in 2013. His albums 'Live in KwaZulu' (2013) and 'Guy Buttery' also received SAMA nominations, with the former winning the Best Classical and/or Instrumental Album Award.

Guy was then invited to perform his works with the 52-piece KZN Philharmonic Orchestra dubbed “Africa’s greatest ensemble” with his solo performance voted “Top Live Show” by The Cape Times and was selected by the public as one of South Africa’s Top Young Personalities by The Mail & Guardian.

In 2018, Guy received the highest accolade for a musician in South Africa and was awarded the Standard Bank Young Artist Award. In almost 4 decades of honouring artist throughout the country, this was the first time since its inception that the award was presented to a musician outside of the classical realm. The following year, Guy toured across 5 continents and released his debut collaborative album, titled "Nāḍī", with Indian born sitar player and vocalist, Kanada Narahari. The album was voted a "Top of the World" release by leading World Music publication Songlines.

With tours cancelled all around the world due to COVID-19, Buttery went into "studio mode" and released 5 albums in 2020. These releases consisted mostly of archival projects including two live releases (one with Derek Gripper and another with Nibs van der Spuy), a collaborative EP with marimba band and horn section The Bandura Express Marimba Ensemble, a demos release featuring outtakes and unreleased recordings surrounding Guy's 2016 self-titled album and a remix album titled Sonokota EP featuring producers from Wales, Berlin, Maputo, Cape Town and New York.

In 2021 Buttery released yet another collaborative album, this time with traditional Indian classical musicians Mohd. Amjad Khan (tabla) and Mudassir Khan (sarangi). Recorded in a singular session in India in a largely improvised setting, "One Morning in Gurgaon" continues Guy's love affair with the music of the subcontinent. The record received critical acclaim...

Posts

Guy Buttery's picture

Guy Buttery added a new video

Madala Kunene & Guy Buttery — uGuyGuy
Guy Buttery's picture

Guy Buttery added a new video

Derek Gripper & Guy Buttery — '56 (Live in Cape Town)
Guy Buttery's picture

Guy Buttery added a new video

Guy Buttery & Shane Cooper — synth and sitar improvisation (live)
Guy Buttery's picture

Guy Buttery added a new video

Guy Buttery, Mohd. Amjad Khan, Mudassir Khan — Raag Kirwani — Live at The Old Mushroom Farm

Music

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Guy Buttery
Guy Buttery - The Book of Right On [Live] - Joanna Newsom Cover
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SoundCloud
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Guy Buttery
Guy Buttery - I Know This Place (with Nibs van der Spuy)
03:16
SoundCloud
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Guy Buttery
Guy Buttery - Mirleft
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SoundCloud

Videos

Madala Kunene & Guy Buttery — uGuyGuy
Derek Gripper & Guy Buttery — '56 (Live in Cape Town)
Guy Buttery & Shane Cooper — synth and sitar improvisation (live)
Guy Buttery, Mohd. Amjad Khan, Mudassir Khan — Raag Kirwani — Live at The Old Mushroom Farm
Guy Buttery & Nibs van der Spuy - Live in Dlinza Forest (trailer)
Guy Buttery, Mohd. Amjad Khan & Mudassir Khan — "Kya Baat" (Live in India)
Guy Buttery — "One Morning in Gurgaon" (Album Teaser)
Guy Buttery - "Live from Another Time" Trailer - A Concert Film (featuring Kaki King)
Guy Buttery — Werner Meets Egberto in Manaus (live in San Francisco)
Guy Buttery & Kanada Narahari — Sonokota (A Million Things Remix) Official Video
Nibs van der Spuy & Guy Buttery — In the Shade of the Wild Fig (Live in Lisbon)
Guy Buttery & Shane Cooper — Kya Baat
Guy Buttery & Kanada Narahari | Sonokota
Madala Kunene & Guy Buttery met up and play for the first time (August 2006)
Thomas Leeb & Guy Buttery - The Water is Wide (live in South Africa)
Guy Buttery | Improvisation/Kashmir - Live at Clarion Performing Arts Center
Guy Buttery & Ronan Skillen | Sitar & Tabla Improvisation
Guy Buttery with The Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
Kanada Narahari & Guy Buttery | In Studio
Kaki King & Guy Buttery live in South Africa | "Kya Baat"
Dan Patlansky & Guy Buttery — "December Poems" {Live}
Kaki King & Guy Buttery test drive the Tonewood Amp
Guy Buttery & The Odeion String Quartet — I Know This Place (mbira & strings)
Guy Buttery & The Odeion String Quartet — Floop
Guy Buttery — The Upper Reaches (live)
Guy Buttery — Werner Meets Egberto in Manaus (live)
Guy Buttery - Werner Meets Egberto in Manaus [feat. Vusi Mahlasela] (2016)
Vusi Mahlasela & Guy Buttery in Studio
Guy Buttery IndieGoGo Crowdfunding Campaign - Support The New Album
Guy Buttery - Demo Video from 2001 (18 years old)
Guy Buttery - "Verbosity" (Live at the Play Station Theatre)
Preston Reed, Guy Buttery & Tony Cox perform "Valhalla" (International Guitar Night)
Jon Gomm & Guy Buttery - "High & Dry" (International Guitar Night)
Guy Buttery - Improvisation - Tanzania, July 2012
Guy Buttery - Live at Die Ou Pastorie - June 2012
Guy Buttery - 13th March, Sodwana Bay (Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)

Photos

ZADurban, South Africa
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2002

Contact

Guy Buttery

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