Award-winning international guitar maestro Tony Cox is heading home for a long-awaited tour of South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Esa Alexander)
Countrywide
Award-winning international guitar maestro Tony Cox is heading home for a long-awaited tour of South Africa. His return is a rare opportunity for local audiences to see this acoustic guitar phenomenon play his unique brand of dazzling, finger-style guitar.
He combines African and European influences to make his own inimitable style, taking audiences on a foot-tapping, heart-beating, soul-feeding journey. Cox’s laid-back grooves, effortless guitar wizardry and layered musical creations are interspersed with his wry observations and playful banter.
Born in Zimbabwe, Cox grew up in Cape Town and is now living in England. His fan base has grown from a loyal crowd of South Africans to include the UK, Germany, Canada and elsewhere in the world.
His ascent to master musician began as a nine-year-old playing Hawaiian guitar in what was then Rhodesia. In his teens, he evolved a more conventional playing style and later he studied classical guitar.
After his family relocated to Cape Town in 1969, Cox enhanced his already considerable skills and Western training by absorbing and adapting the multi-textured rhythms and varied styles of the indigenous music of his upbringing and surroundings. He began to compose his own music early in his career and his creations are shot through with rich African imagery and influences.
Alongside his solo career, Cox has collaborated and recorded with many other musicians to produce three award-winning albums and many nominations. In 2002, 2003 and 2008 he won the Best Instrumental category at the South African Music Awards.
His SA tour, while focusing on his solo performances, will include a series of reunion concerts with Steve Newman, one of his most well-known collaborators. Cox will be performing in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
For venues, dates and bookings go to www.tonycox.co.za/shows.