Renowned South African guitarist, singer and songwriter Nathan Smith and his family will be relocating to the United Kingdom (UK) next month.
The decision to leave was not taken lightly, he says, and while he will certainly miss South Africa, the UK currently offers several unmissable opportunities. “Home is home, and I will definitely miss South Africa, but there are some great opportunities in the UK. I have toured and worked with colleagues and musical directors now working in the West End and there are some possibilities. I also have a booking agent there, who will schedule shows as soon as things open up again. In the meantime, amid COVID-19-related regulations, I have some teaching opportunities lined up.”
Besides the above, Nathan is also excited about the fact that he will also now have the opportunity to release and promote his album, HERE’S TO THE NOW, in the UK and he cannot wait to kick off with the interviews and media opportunities that’s currently being lined up for him by his PR Agency, Starburst Promotions in the UK.
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Nathan and his family made the decision to move in September last year and started the application process in October. “We took a leap of faith. With the help of a UK solicitor, I applied for a Tier 1 Global Talent Visa, which the Arts Council England approved in a matter of days. We were incredibly surprised as the decision can take up to eight weeks,” explains Nathan. “That said, I feel so blessed as very few applications are approved in this category each year.”
He admits that while they are excited and looking forward to this new adventure, it has been an emotionally difficult time for the family.
Nathan Smith boasts a long and illustrious musical career. A celebrated guitarist, Nathan has performed original as well as collaborative works across South Africa and abroad. Highlights of the former include original compositions for various Soccer World Cup events in 2010, as well as for Joseph Clark – The Music of Queen, which toured locally and throughout Europe.
Session work found Nathan by chance and, while not his intentional career path, resulted in the musician being booked for flagship live, recording and television productions. This led to collaborations with top local and international artists, including Ronan Keating, Richard Clayderman, Riana Nel, Laurika Rauch, Steve Hofmeyr and Juanita Du Plessis, among others.
His career highlights include involvement with flagship South African productions such as The Voice, Noot vir Noot, Skouspel, Idols, Afrikaans is Groot, Dancing with the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing, to name a few.
He has also produced his own productions and is musical director for Guitar Legends – A tribute to the World’s Greatest Singing Guitarists of All Time, Don’t Stop Believing – A tribute to Rock Super Group Journey, Slow-hand Fast-hand – A tribute to Eric Clapton and Gary Moore, and more.
While recognised for his session work, original work has always been at the core of Nathan’s love for music, with 2006 seeing the launch of his solo album Songs from a Diary. In 2009 he released an experimental album with Mark Heydenrych, Paddy Smith and Kyle Rutten called The Nathan Smith Project – The Sum of All Things. His third album, Here’s to the Now, was released in South Africa during 2020.
While South Africa is saying farewell to an exceptionally talented musician, he says it “isn’t goodbye, it is just my next move. I look forward to coming back to this wonderful country to work and to enjoy it for what it truly is… Amazing!”
Nathan is proud to be endorsed by D’addario, Sennheiser, Marshall Music and Clayton Picks.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NathanSmithOfficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NatStringSmith
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathansmithvibes/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCcONX7ey844Cm9gAH9cD5Q/
Website: www.nathansmith.co.za