Jesse Clegg is taking fans down memory lane as he reflects on his artistic journey over the past decade in the new musical showcase “Here & Now,” set to take place at the Teatro, Montecasino, this coming weekend.
After over 24 months of intimate and remote concerts, Jesse says he’s delighted to be back on stage, performing to a large live audience.
“What's really going to be special about this show is that it's a really big production. We've got an amazing stage presentation. We are building the show around big bands. We've got a string section. It’s going to be epic,” shares Jesse.
“Over the last two years, because of Covid-19, we've scaled down on the shows. So this is a wonderful opportunity to get back and do a big show.”
“Here & Now” will include many of Jesse’s hit songs, including “Use Me”, “Breathing’, “Let It Burn”, “Speed of Light”, and the latest release, “Waiting on the Outcome”, a feel-good track that focuses on finding strength through loss and taking the journey to gain closure and celebrate life.
“I went through the difficult experience of losing a parent, you know, my father passed two years ago.
“And the song was really a way for me to work out my feelings and work out how, how this experience changed my life, who I was at that point.
“And it's really a song about finding strength and just being vulnerable, and seeing the hard truth of the situation without losing your optimism or your faith in the universe.”
Growing up, Jesse was surrounded by music. He spent most of his childhood on global tours with his father, music icon and activist Johnny Clegg.
Jesse wants to continue to honour his late father, who greatly influenced his artistic journey.
“I think more than anything, he was my father. He was hugely impactful in my life. We had a very deep close relationship. He was my role model.
“And I think that growing up in the music industry, I really got to see the real power of music, and the capacity for music, to convey ideas, inspire and leave a legacy behind.
“I also saw the other side, which was the discipline that it takes, and the hard work, the focus on becoming a career musician. The music that my dad made is music that I grew up on, and I’m very proud to be a part of the legacy.”
Throughout the years, Jesse has developed strong bonds with many local and international artists, and this special concert will see a number of guest appearances by musicians, including Nicholas Petricca from the critically acclaimed band “Walk The Moon”, together with renowned South African musician Arno Carstens is featured in the show.
“Arno is an amazing solo artist and songwriter. His music has inspired me for decades. And the “Springbok Nude Girls” are a legacy band in South Africa, in the rock sort of world.
“And Nicholas Petricca is an incredible musician. He’s got an amazing career in his own right and is a platinum-selling artist in the States. But he's also someone who I've connected with musically and have collaborated with on my upcoming album. He’s someone who has become a really dear friend of mine. We have a really close connection.
“So, it's going to be wonderful. It's actually the first time we ever performed together. We've been friends for many years, and we've made a lot of music together but never actually performed on stage together.
“These are artists that have inspired me, so it's really just going to be a celebration of my music and beyond.”
Tickets to the show are available at Computicket for R250.