Quick 5 with Chad Saaiman
Can I sing?
Yes but probably not good enough to save my life.
Let me paint a little scenario for you all.
Say I get "taken" hostage and my captives threaten to torture me if I cannot give them a vocal performance of my life. Now I know, this is in all reality is quite obscene but what if my pending release was left entirely to my vocal capabilities. Not only would I be torturing them, I would be left for dead thereafter. Not because no one loves me enough to pay the ransom but because of my
Au contraire, the same cannot be said for this guy, Mr Chad Saaiman. He is a talented singer/songwriter and recording artist, who has been performing professionally for over a decade. He has graced stages in Cape Town, London, Spain, Johannesburg and several other big cities around the world. Not bad for a local Cape Town guy!
I recently caught up with him and this is how things went down:
VL: Name one role model you looked up to growing up and why was this person so special to you?
CS: Gary Lineker, the striker for Tottenham Hotspur ('89-'92) . He was the reason I wanted to be a soccer player (didn't work out so well!) and the reason I scored so many goals in my teens.
VL: What does Chad Saaiman absolutely love to have for breakfast?
CS: Eggs Benedict.
VL: Give us one word that best describes your music and why?
CS: Urban, because it contains elements of urban genre's such as R&B, Soul and sometimes House, but remains popular throughout. Not a fan of genre, but a fan of good music.
VL: Tea or Coffee, red or white wine, Cpt or Jozi?
CS: Coffee! Red Wine! Bloem! Just kidding, I simply cannot choose, both cities give me so much and I love them both. If there was a gun to my head - I'd say CPT because it's my hometown.
VL: Your talent must have taken you to many places in SA and the world, where would you say is the best place you performed and what made it so memorable?
CS: I've performed in London, Spain, and a few other countries but the best place I've performed is Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town, 2011. What made it memorable was that 2 R&B Artists (Myself and Loyiso) had a sold-out show. Wonder why they haven't booked me again. Ha!
VL: Lastly do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring singers just starting out.
CS: Yes. Realise that for talent to succeed, you need other aspects of your career covered too. Hard work, commitment, research, education about the music business, understanding social media, networking, branding and knowing that you may not have a 9-5 but you'd need to be ready for a 24/7. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
VL: Hold up, hold up!!!
I know this segment is called "Quick 5" but I just have to slip this one in.
I listened to your track "Dragons" (LOVING IT!), how did that song come about? Are you a Khaleesi (Game of Thrones) Fan? I'm only asking because my son is obsessed with all things dragons.
CS: I had written the bulk of the song and needed something to take the concept to the next level, the song is about escaping to get away from the things that hold you down.
I came up with the idea of using "Dragons" to get away probably after watching Doc McStuffins with my daughter, as there's a character called Stuffy on there. Not related to Game of Thrones, unfortunately.
Chad Saaiman's latest studio offering entitled "Cinema" is laced with urban and popular sounds, which features the singles All On The Wall, Dragons and Loving You Is Easy. It is available via iTunes here and all good music stores.
Would you like to win this album?
Here's Chad to give you the down low:
A video posted by VersatileLyle Blog (@versatilelyleblog) on
To win Like my facebook page and you could be the lucky winner!
Winner will be announced on the 2 November on the facebook page.
Good Luck!
Thanks to ASnap Photography for the awesome pics and thanks to Chad for being so awesome!
Twitter: @ChadSaaiman
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChadSaaiman
Blog: http://saaimansays.tumblr.com/
