The Forgotten Falls Music Club is the brainchild of Kech Sanchez and John Tungay. Hosted at Braeside Guesthouse on the second Saturday of each month, the club welcomes members and non-members, locals and visitors alike.
The club was started in 2001 to offer a venue and audience for professional and amateur musicians from Howick, Mpophomeni and KwaZulu-Natal in general. The numbers and age mix of the people attending each month are proof of the club’s popularity. It is a ‘bring your own’ picnic evening, which – with the low admission cost – makes it an affordable night out for families and friends. The jamming session at the end of each performance brings out the hidden talents of the shyest amateurs. The music featured is an exciting mix of classics, jazz and folk with regular performances of Kech’s Bolivian works. Among the artists who have already played for the club are the Jeff Judge Jazz Trio, Ant from the Landscape Players, and Pan and Jonny Zest.
John Tungay, a founding member of the club, has a long association with music in KwaZulu-Natal having been the founder and inspiration of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. John was also the driving force behind the magnificent ‘3 Centuries Organ’ donated to the people of Howick by the Parish of St Andrews in Norfolk, England. His enthusiasm and encouragement inspire and support the Forgotten Falls Music Club.
Kech Sanchez, the other founder of the club, is a professional musician from Bolivia… via Switzerland. He plays a variety of instruments including the Andean Pipes (much larger than Pan Pipes), the Charango (which looks like a cross between a mandolin and a small guitar), and the Quena (an Andean flute). Kech has released CDs with his Bolivian group Los Kussis and has featured on a South African CD with Roger Lacey. He has performed at many festivals in Africa and abroad.
The Forgotten Falls Music Club is well worth a visit. Admission is via club membership or a small visitor’s fee.
