samjam

Samuel Sserwanga

Cape Town

Sam Jam’s passion for music is evident when you see him on stage, whether it be seated with his acoustic guitar, jumping around while playing some killer solos on his electric guitar or beating his drums. The audience cannot help but get involved when Sam takes to the stage. This Kenyan-born man’s lifelong relationship with music started from a very early age. It all began when Sam had to choose which subjects he wanted to study in primary school and he chose music ‘just to see what happens’. It did not take long for him to realize that music has crept into his life, never to be evicted from it again. Sam’s passion for music was clear as he could often be found getting creative and messing around on the piano. Just finishing his homework assignments was not enough for him! He had to explore what else the instrument had to offer him. His move to Port Elizabeth in 1997 served to further strengthen his love for music. Here he was fortunate to be taught by well-known guitar teacher Dr Howard Nock, helping him hone his skills on the guitar. On top of that Sam started playing regular gigs at 4 Winds Folk Club, which enabled him to build a fan base and develop his style as a solo performer. He also started playing with a rock band The Righteous (www.therighteous.co.za) who he still collaborates with today. Sam is a true multi-instrumentalist who loves all of his instruments for their unique qualities. He continues to play all of them and is looking into becoming a session drummer sometime in the future. The guitar holds a special place in his heart though and he describes his desire to make it ‘sing’ like the greats: Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine, Mike Einziger from Incubus and The Edge from U2. When asked who he aspires to be like a few names he admires for different reasons are mentioned. People like Dave Matthews, who Sam and his friends have nicknamed ‘spider fingers’, John Mayer, Jimmy Hendrix and Howie Day are artists he particularly respects, not just for their technical mastery but also for their storytelling abilities. ‘But mostly I aspire to sound like me. Yes you can hear a bit of everyone but there is nothing like singing your own song to yourself and enjoying it,’ he says. Sam Jam has now moved to the mother city because he ‘wants to know more about the music business’. He was looking for a place where he could be part of a creative culture so he picked Cape Town as it is a city where he can definitely find a creative music scene to be part of, he finds himself particularly inspired when jamming with his friends on his acoustic guitar. This keeps him on his toes creatively. He is looking forward to many gigs in the city as well as recording an album with The Righteous. Written by: Simoné Scott