Edi Neidelander

Edi Niederlander’s professional career as a singer/songwriter/ musician, started when she was 17, in a coffee bar called the Troubadour, in downtown Jozi. By the age of 19, she was teaching guitar part time, 18 hours a week! She has performed on every conceivable stage, from clubs to stadia, locally and abroad - as a solo artist to a packed Wits Great hall, with a band at every musical festival in S.A.and in several musicals at the Baxter and Nico Malan in Cape Town, the Market Theatre and Civic in Jhb.

A special highlight was performing from the balcony of the City hall in Cape Town to thousands of people gathered at the Parade to see Nelson Mandela deliver his first public speech on release from Victor Verster. She was also commissioned by the Western Cape Dept. of Arts & Culture to stay on Robben Island for a week, with her band, to write a musical tone poem reflecting the history of the Island and related struggles, with poet Deela Kahn. Another was sharing a Vita award with Johnny Clegg for writing the opening song, Ancient Dust Of Africa, for the original Jock of the Bushveld movie. Adding to her extensive experience in the music field, are 5 Cds of original material and many collaborations, including playing guitar and bass on David Kramer’s “Bakgat” album and sharing the stage at the Grahamstown Festival with Sipho Hotix Mabuse and performing at the Kings Trust Concert in Swaziland, with Joan Armatrading and Jonathan Butler. “Most of all, I have been privileged over the years, to teach hundreds of children and adults (including an extremely hard of hearing woman), to love and experience the joy of playing the guitar and hope to continue doing so for many years to come. Now, as the resident guitar teacher at Reddam, Bedfordview, my joy is to watch the musical understanding and development of so many young minds and hearts!”