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"...The acoustic guitars circulate light as a feather between the greenery and full rows of guests"
"Because of you, I have experienced a dream", says a joyous Matefi.
translated from the article by Benedikt Wahlter - Schwäbische Post
estledaire (Tanya Matefi) is a South African singer-songwriter, poet, graphic designer and band, now based in Germany.
Perhaps it's estledaire's Scottish roots that add a Celtic touch to the many influences of her songs - ranging from folk ballads to catchy, up-tempo pop songs, with soul and jazz elements, which she accompanies on acoustic and classic guitars.
The songs reflect her impressions (influenced by Africa and her heritage) the yearning for home, and the finding of her place in the world.
Songs that always express gratitude and hope, even in challenging times.
Relationships, parting, growing and accepting are themes that weave through these stories captured in sound.
estledaire's debut album,
under my hat, also features Armin Otto on acoustic guitar and mentor-producer
Axel Nagel (winner of the 2019 German Pop and Rock prize) on guitars, diverse instruments and vocals.
what does estledaire mean?
Picture the scene:
19 Logan Avenue
We have 7/8ths of an acre of ground.
That house behind the hedge sits at the bottom of a gentle slope with two stages to it.
If one stands at the top of the slope, before the first stage of the descent, in front of the mulberry tree, as we are doing, one can survey one's kingdom.
We are Debbie (9, my bestfriend and in a blue swimming costume) me (10 and in a pink swimming costume) and the world (at our feet).
Below is the house.
Ross (7, my brother and in a swimming costume that later got electrocuted) and
Mark (7, Debbie's brother, Ross' best friend and in a swimming costume of some description)
are sitting on the roof, kicking the tiles and throwing berries and twigs at nothing in particular.
From where we stand, there is almost a clear sweep of slope to the pool,
clear but not straight.
To run to the pool
(nobody had said we are going to do this, but instinctively we know we are)
one must needs respect the flower bed between us and it,
and we do so willingly.
The flower bed is the shape of a sickle-moon and to respect it,
one has to run a sickle-moon's form,
which is far more satisfying than running a straight line.
But I have decieved you,
for no, we are not Debbie and Tanya,
we are....
da, da, da da
(fireworks and all manner of pyrotechnics)
BLOOMER and ESTLEDAIRE
well to be more accurate
da, da, da da
(fireworks and all manner of pyrotechnics)
ESTLEDAIRE and BLOOMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(producers note:
we did not budget for the amount of exclamation marks needed here,
so please could you imagine a lot more.)
Nobody said we were going to do this, but instinctively estledaire
(never before suspected, born at this precise moment)
declares (in a phony frrrrench accent)
"ma nam ees estledairrrrrre!!!!"
"and maaan ees bloomerrr!!!"
shouts bloomer triumphantly (in an even phoni-er frrrench ac-cent)
With that we take off, first me, um estledaire,
then bloomer.
We are screaming (with french accents mais naturelement.)
This is not a terrified scream, it is a terrifying scream.
It is a terrible sound to behold, be-um, be-heared
and it would make the hair straighten on anyone foolish enough to stand on that invisible sickle-shaped course we have instinctively set,
to the pool.
Our voices are horsening, erm, hoarsening as I, the leader, increase the pace of our gallop, the volume of our terrible, savage cry.
I reach the pool's edge, I stop.
bloomer, as always only one pace behind me, my faithful osmosis-like follower into whatever madness I never have to tell her,
does not.
we are arms-and-legs,
we are pink-costume-and-blue-costume,
we are splash-bubbles,
we are noses-full-of-chlorine-and-water-blinded-eyes,
​
we are
​
oooooooooooooooooooooo oe b loom h stle 2 da er Oireooooooooooooooooooooooo
____________________________
​
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Such is the origin of the word, “estledaire”, pronounced "Est La Dare" (a phony french accent helps),
which has come to represent to me the spontaneity, energy, innocence and passionate absurdity of youth,
which I hope will characterise all my work and art and which I use as my stage name and pseudonym.