Helena Hettema

Bekroonde kabaretkunstenaar, Helena Hettema is weer in …. in die Kaap met haar vertoning, The Legends and a little me uit haar jongste dubbel CD “The Spirit of Piaf and Other Great French Legends”, onlangs deur Sony BMG vrygestel .

Op …. in Durbanville by De Boer, neem Helena Hettema, haar gehoor op ‘n opwindende kontinentale reis. Hettema, is onder die land se tien top Divas deur KykNet kykers gestem en is wenner van die SABC Geraastoekenning, Beste Vroulike Kunstenaar , word begelei deur die briljante André Wessels op klavier wat ewe tuis is met Bach of Blues.

Al die geliefde gunsteling Piaf nommers wat Helena reeds twee keer met die Kaapstadse Simfonie-orkes opgevoer het, word aangebied asook dié van beroemdes soos Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Becaud, Frida Boccara en Jacques Brel. .

Amerikaanse legendes, Patsy Cline, Joan Baez en alternatiewes Marianne Faithful, Tracy Chapman wat ook verskyn op Divas Divine, sal gehoor word. Helena bied ook van haar mees gewilde oorspronklike musiek soos Sonkring, Tolbos in die Wind en Divided Heart sowel as die van plaaslike legendes Ingrid Jonker en Koos du Plessis..

Vir verdere inligting, kontak De Boer by (021) 979-1911

Van haar word gesê: “Sy sny dieper as die vel” – Beeld – Martjie Roos

“Haar vertolkings van Piaf is al legendaries” – Dirk Jordaan – Rooi Rose

“Hettema het werklik ‘n unieke stem een van die min Afrikaanse albums (Divided Heart) wat local musiek vorentoe vat” – Wikus du Toit – Rapport Tydskrif

CD RELEASES

She has released seven CDs to date: in 1993 on demand, a cassette of her critically acclaimed show Piaf, Brel and Just a Little Me, performed at venues countrywide;

In 1995 her first CD, Fool’s Gold which received 5 stars in Press reviews and featuring her band Golden Fleece with 9 out of 15 tracks being her own compositions in English and Afrikaans as well as some Brel, Piaf and some other songs in French;

In 1997, the second CD, Jasmine Lament, (title track written in Italy in 1996) featuring 13 out of 16 tracks of her own songs;

In 1998, her third CD, Helena Hettema Highlights which featured the best of the first two and was nominated for a SAMA Award;

In 2000 her popular fourth CD, Dreaming, was released and chosen by Beeld as Fourth Best CD of the year, including popular Afrikaans numbers by artists such as Koos du Plessis and Anton Goosen and featuring the Magaliesberg Children’s Choir. The CD also has tracks of Brel, Handel, Amanda McBroom, Frida Boccara, Nana Mousskouri reflecting some of Helena’s favourites;

In February 2002, The Bridge, her fifth, a CD of her live show, was released which features the music of Janis Joplin, Liza Minelli, Elvis, Piaf, Leonard Cohen, Marian Faithful and some of Helena’s originals among others, and is available countrywide;

In April 2004, Divided Heart, her sixth CD was released. Exotic in nature, it features a number of live instruments among them the Australian Didgeridoo, Indian tabla, Potbelly drums and of course inimitable live guitar and piano. It also features the music of other SA songwriters such as Mel Botes, Marelise Scheepers of “Hei mev Brown” fame, Anton Goosen and Marietjie Stoop. Two bonus tracks with her father, Jan Hettema, one of which is the famous Nat King Cole number, Unforgettable, are also included.

In October 2005, “Divas Divine – Inside Out” featuring the music of Divas such as Joan Baez, Patsy Kline, Nina Simone, Katie Melua and Janis Joplin.

Latest CD: Spirit of Piaf and songs from other French Legend