Zenn Viljoen
Videos
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Them Rattling Bones - Busking at Nobel Square, V&A Waterfront Cape Town
I wrote this song after watching a movie called Crossroads. It's about the life of Robert Johnson, the mystical blues player that has inspired the music industry for generations. I recorded a live album this day and this track was part of the recording. Nobel Square has been one of my favourite busking spots. Having Table Mountain as my backdrop, feels like I'm home.
Big thank you to Henrico Van Niekerk for shooting all the roaming footage for the album. Henricovn4@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27.
A Fairy nice Easter jam session
It was a Fairy nice Easter jam session. I recorded this set on Easter weekend 2025. Mark Kidjoes Sikele, a fellow busker at the V&A Waterfront joined me on percussion. Halfway through the first song, Sunday Afternoon, Mark spotted a Fairy and pulled him onto our pitch. What fun we had that day. Hope you enjoy the laugh. I wrote Sunday Afternoon about my brother. I use to visit him while on tour, but he was not the same person I grew up with. On Sunday afternoons he would appear, but only for an hour or two. Then it was back to the stressed version. I wrote the song Sunday Afternoon because of that hour or two. The real him.....
Thanks to Henrico Van Niekerk who once again pulled through to help shoot the footage. henricovn@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27.
Huge shot out to Mark Kidjoes Sikele, who made it an awesome recording by adding his percussion. It's the first time we had ever played together.....
Two Brothers, Various Mothers, Taking it Home - Brick by Brick.
Brick by Brick, i wrote this song couple years ago. I had not played this song since i wrote it, so i was a bit rusty. I was going out with this girl and she started building this wall around her after something i said. I still don't know what it was i said..... But with every brick she picked up, she smashed me in the face first before laying it on her wall. Mark joined me for an acoustic session at the V&A Waterfront, Easter weekend 2025. We had never played together before, but we had such a jol!!! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Special thanks to Henrico Van Niekerk for tagging along and shooting the footage.
Henricovn4@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27.
Also a huge thank you to Mark Kidjoes Sikele for joining me on percussion. I had a blast!!!
Analog Looping, Boss RC300 Loop station. Almost a Sin outside Victoria&Alfred Hotel, V&A Waterfront
Looping a track live, using instruments and a Boss RC 300 loop station. Old school looping. This recording was done live, in real time outside the Vitoria & Alfred Hotel at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. Have a real close up look at how I build my loops.
Sunday Afternoon - Groovy Tune to start the day with
I love it when someone starts feeling the music and goes with it. She made my day. I recorded this song outside the Victoria & Alfred Hotel at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. It was the opening song for my early morning set. I've been craving some nature and the mountain and this was the best spot I could find in the concrete jungle. I wrote this song about my brother. I hardly recognise him now that we are older. I used to visit him while touring and the only time I saw the guy I grew up with, was for an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon. I was not long before the stresses of life would set back in and "he" would disappear again. So I wrote the song, Sunday Afternoon.
Massive thank you to Henrico Van Niekerk for helping me capturing the footage. henricovn4@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27
Busking Nobel Square - Busker records a new album in 1 hour.
This is the footage of the recording of my new album, Busking Nobel Square. The recording was done on Saturday, the 8th of February, 2025.
The entire album was recorded in an hour. https://zenn.bandcamp.com/album/buski...
Hope you enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed the performance. Having Table Mountain as my backdrop, made it feel like home. Big thank you to Henrico Van Niekerk for capturing some very special moments and some amazing angles.
henricovn4@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27. Without him this would not have been possible. Another thank you to the Taiwanese girl that randomly sat sketching the scene. I don't even know her name. I asked to take a picture and she said yes.
Two Brothers, Various Mothers, Taking it Home - Brick by Brick.
Brick by Brick, i wrote this song couple years ago. I had not played this song since i wrote it, so i was a bit rusty. I was going out with this girl and she started building this wall around her after something i said. I still don't know what it was i said..... But with every brick she picked up, she smashed me in the face first before laying it on her wall. Mark joined me for an acoustic session at the V&A Waterfront, Easter weekend 2025. We had never played together before, but we had such a jol!!! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Special thanks to Henrico Van Niekerk for tagging along and shooting the footage.
Henricovn4@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27.
Also a huge thank you to Mark Kidjoes Sikele for joining me on percussion. I had a blast!!!
Hell on the Way - The warm up before recording my new album "Busking Nobel Square" - Almost a Sin.
I warmed up with an acoustic song before recording my latest album, Busking Nobel Square. I wrote Hell on the way about my dad who was a full blown alcoholic and caused a lot of havoc in life. The thing that got to me the most, was him throwing the Bible at me the entire time. I wrote a song about a train trip, as he was on the railways. Hope you enjoy.
Big thank you to Henrico Van Niekerk for shooting all the roaming footage for the album. Henricovn4@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27.
Phyc-A-Delica. Busking Nobel Square, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa.
I recorded my set at Nobel Square, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday the 8th March 2025. It was a beautiful summers day. I needed new album, so I decided to go and record it at my favourite busking spot. Nobel Square has been my favourite pitch for many years. My new album, Busking Nobel Square will be available on Bandcamp. I will add the link in the next few days.
Big shout out to Henrico Van Niekerk for shooting all the roaming footage for the album. Henricovn4@gmail.com and Instagram - henricovn27.
Busker having a duel with the "Cape Town Doctor - Almost a Sin
It was the dying days of JanuWORRY 2025. I had just payed my rent and invested in 2 new pieces of gear, which now allows me to record my live sets. I was broke so `I had to go busk. The South Easter( Cape Town Doctor) was blowing gale force. Was testing out some of my new gear, but the wind got intense. Watching back the footage that evening was so interesting. it was like a duel between the wind and myself. the more intense the wind, the more intense the guitarplgaying became. Luckily I managed to document it. The video is far from perfect. I was purely checking camera placement. As a matter a fact, everything about the camera work is wrong, but it's not about the video quality, its about the duel against the wind. Hope you enjoy the laugh.
Acid Cherries(Cas Cas Kashaka Shakers) on Christmas Day - Almost a Sin
The Cas Cas or Kashaka shaker originated in West African. It allows you to play polly rhythms, which means you can play 2 different rhythms simultaneously. Its one of the hardest instruments I've ever picked up. I'm still not where I'd like to be with it, but getting there. Have a blessed Christmas.
"Them Rattling Bones" - Almost a Sin. When Electronic meets the Blues. Psychedelic Live Looping.
Robert Leroy Johnson, 1911 - 1938. The master of the the Delta Blues. He inspired all the great bands and musicians of the 20th century. He's an absolute legend. I watched a movie called "Cross Roads" about the life of Robert Johnson and had to write a song. Them Rattling Bones. Myth goes, that he sold his sold to the devil to be able to play the guitar. This was a live recording done in Coffee Bay in the Transkei, South Africa.
Phyc-A-Delica by Almost-A-Sin..... Live looping on the banks of the Berg Rivier
Zenn Viljoen performing as Almost A Sin. This was a field recording done on the banks of the Berg Rivier just outside Stellenbosch. This was a live recording done with a ZoomH5. The looping was done on a RC-300. Zenn used a Mouth bow, Kalimba, talking drum and cas-cas to build the base loop. It's a little groove you often get to experience during the recording. All material was written and performed by Zenn as well as the video production.
Hope you enjoy being taken on a journey of sounds for the next
20 minutes of your life.
"Them Rattling Bones" - Almost a Sin. When Electronic meets the Blues. Psychedelic Live Looping.
Robert Leroy Johnson, 1911 - 1938. The master of the the Delta Blues. He inspired all the great bands and musicians of the 20th century. He's an absolute legend. I watched a movie called "Cross Roads" about the life of Robert Johnson and had to write a song. Them Rattling Bones. Myth goes, that he sold his sold to the devil to be able to play the guitar. This was a live recording done in Coffee Bay in the Transkei, South Africa.