Barrhead, prepare to say hello to a Prince.
Or perhaps the Swahili “jambo” would be a more appropriate greeting to someone hailing from Africa.
On Friday, Garth Prince and his group, Okapi Jambo, plan to put on a show fit for kings at Barrhead Composite High School.
It will be rhythmic, dynamic, delicate and elegant. It will contain influences of pop, folk and jazz and be accessible to Canadians. It will be many things, while retaining a distinctly African flavour.
It will also be interactive, so some listeners may be able to display their musical chops. Or at least pick up a few tips and do a bit of shaking.
Intrigued? Well we could tell you more, but we won’t. You just have to turn up to the BCHS drama theatre at 8 p.m.
“We like to involve the audience as much as possible,” said the award-winning Prince, whose real name is Prinsonsky.
Clad in authentic African costume, Cape Town-born Prince will play the role of master showman, singing, dancing and discussing music that recalls his roots. Don’t be surprised if he mixes Afrikaans with English.
Meanwhile, the group he has put together over the last four years will help bring the songs to life.
Edmonton-based Okapi Jambo is made up of Bill Mitchell, an African percussion specialist; Elise Reneau, who sings and plays shakers; Karen Porkka, keyboardist and saxophone player; and Joel Forth, guitarist and composer.
The ensemble’s name combines Okapi – a central African mammal that has stripes like a zebra, but is most closely related to the giraffe – with Swahili for hello.
“We feel our music has different shades, just like the okapi,” said Prince, who recently celebrated his 30th birthday.
Prince’s musical journey started as a child in Namibia, a country in southern Africa which borders Angola, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa.
Blessed with a God-given talent, Prince began singing in groups from the age of 14.
He went on to become a soloist for Namibia’s number one choir, the 120-member Mascato Youth Choir, and co-found “Afroshine,” one of the country’s top vocal groups.
Mascato sang traditional African songs, but also embraced other styles such as pop and folk, which foreshadowed Prince’s career.
“I was always listening to pop on the radio,” he said. “The Backstreet Boys, for instance, were really, really big when I was growing up. I used to sing that type of music.”
Other influences were South Africa’s Miriam Makeba and US folk musician Paul Simon, whose seminal 1986 album, Graceland, with its eclectic mix of styles, helped draw worldwide attention to South African music.
Prince’s striking tenor voice may have impressed audiences, but it earned him gentle ribbing from fellow male choristers.
“Singing bass is seen as more manly,” he laughed. “I got teased quite a bit.”
After touring and performing with African groups for many years, Prince’s life took a dramatic turn when he went on tour to Canada in 2006 and met Michelle, also a chorister, who was performing in the same choir as Elise Reneau and Joel Forth.
The couple fell in love and married, making Edmonton their home. They now have two children: three-year-old Lily Lu and a baby boy, Grant.
United by a passion for music, Michelle has helped Prince juggle the challenges of family life and a burgeoning career.
A teacher in Edmonton public schools since 2008, she has even done backing vocals on his album and on stage. Such support was needed as Prince began the painstaking task of assembling a group of musicians who were a comfortable fit and could reflect his heritage.
“They are regular Canadian folk who have travelled to Africa or have been exposed to African music,” he said.
In Joel Forth, a lover of jazz and pop, Prince found a songwriting partner. The song, “Sand and Sea”, is typical of their collaboration.
Prince suggested a theme about his yearning for his homeland, Namibia, while Joel wrote the music.
“I would then come in and add African elements, such as backing vocals,” said Prince. “That is kind of the process.”
“The song title was chosen because Namibia has both a desert and a sea,” he added.
“I do miss Namibia. It’s the country where I spent most of my life – 24 or 25 years. I couldn’t sing a song like that unless I really meant it.”
“Sand and Sea” is one of the tracks on Prince’s debut solo album in Canada, titled Garth Prince.
It was launched on Dec. 1, 2012, World AIDS Day in memory of a close friend who died. Part of the album’s proceeds go towards fighting AIDS in Africa.
Songs from the album will feature heavily in Prince’s set in Barrhead. Some like “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” will probably be instantly recognizable as Prince displays his ability to sing falsetto.
There will also be an Afrikaans folk song. Prince believes listeners will be captivated by it, even if they don’t understand the lyrics.
“It’s a really beautiful song,” he said.
Prince and Okapi Jambo have never been to Barrhead, but are confident they will find an audience sympathetic to their blended influences.
“We aren’t on tour at the moment,” said Prince. “It’s a one-off show, but we are performing quite a lot. We play together almost every weekend, using Edmonton as a base and driving out to shows.”
Since he has been in Canada, Prince has progressed naturally into teaching African culture, something he incorporates into live performances.
“I like to go into schools to teach,” he said.
Prince’s website also spotlights another aspect of his life: faith. It helps make his music positive and uplifting, the site says.
“He enjoys a healthy lifestyle and spends most of his free time playing some sort of Wii dancing game,” it adds.
Barrhead Arts Council president Jen Lechelt urged people to turn up for the show, describing it as African entertainment to warm up a winter evening.
It is the penultimate show in the council’s season of top-class entertainment.
Circus Terrifico (Motus O Dance) will be the final act. On March 18, people can expect to witness amazing feats of circus-inspired dance and mischievous mayhem.
