Wouter Kellerman

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Wouter Kellerman
Born (1961-09-20) 20 September 1961 (age 59)
Johannesburg, South Africa
GenresWorld, Roots, Classical, Jazz, Instrumental
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentsFlute, "c" flute (traverse flute), Bass Flute, Fife, , Bansuri (Indian Flute)
Years active1981–present
Websitewouterkellerman.com

Wouter Kellerman (born 20 September 1961) is a Grammy Award-winning South African flautist, producer and composer who has won seven South African Music Awards.[1] Using his classical training as a foundation, Kellerman has focused his attention on World and Roots music, exploring the versatility of the instrument and fusing classical and contemporary sounds.

Kellerman received a Grammy Award at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards[2] for his 2014 album Winds of Samsara, a collaboration with Indian composer and producer Ricky Kej. Winds of Samsara reached No. 1 on the US New Age Album Billboard Charts[3] and also peaked at No. 1 on the ZMR (Zone Music Reporter)[4] Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart in the month of July 2014.

Kellerman's Love Language (2015) received a Grammy® Nomination[5] for 'Best Contemporary Instrumental Album', and won a SAMA for 'Best Instrumental and/or Classical Album'.[6] It debuted at nr. 1 on the World Music Billboard charts in July 2015.[7] This album also featured at No. 1 on the ZMR Top 100 International Radio Airplay Chart in August 2015,[8] and spent 11 weeks in the CMJ New World Top 40 Chart, peaking at nr. 12.

His next adventure was a collaboration with the Soweto Gospel Choir, Symphonic Soweto – A Tribute to Nelson Mandela.[9] The album sees the two Grammy® winners re-conceptualise traditional music, freedom songs (including Mandela favourite, “Lizalis’idinga”) and popular songs by South African legends (including Brenda Fassie, Lucky Dube and Miriam Makeba), from a symphonic and choral perspective – as part of honouring Nelson Mandela in the year he would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Symphonic Soweto won the 2018 SAMA for Best Adult Contemporary Album - Kellerman's seventh SAMA recognition.[10] From Symphonic Soweto, Kellerman's collaborative composition Soweto Travels won the USA Songwriting Competition for Best Instrumental Composition in 2017.

As part of his mission to work with and uplift children, Kellerman collaborated with the Ndlovu Youth Choir (a rural choir based in Moutse in the Limpopo province of South Africa) in 2018. Their African version of Ed Sheeran's Shape of You became an internet sensation, going viral with tens of millions of views on social media,[11] and winning awards like the HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Awards) for 'Best Independent Music Video'[12] - pushing the Ndlovu Youth Choir firmly into the international limelight. This resulted in America's Got Talent scouting the choir to enter the 2019 competition. Ndlovu went ahead and delivered a sensational first few rounds, going all the way through to the finals of the competition, showcasing South African music and spirit in the process. Their collaboration is part of Kellerman's 2019 album In A Different Light[13], in which he re-imagines and re-shapes some of his favourite melodies by approaching them from a fresh angle.

Performance highlights[]

  • Kellerman performed at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Soccer World Cup for 700 million people.[14]
  • Performed at the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg in 2010 and 2016.[15]
  • Performed at the 2017 Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia.[16]
  • Performed at the South African/Russia Cultural Season in St Petersburg in Russia in November 2017[17]
  • Performed at the 2010 Expo in Shanghai, China[18]
  • Performed at the 2010 opening of Midem in Cannes, France. Midem is the world's biggest music conference.[19]
  • Performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in 2012[20] and 2015
  • Performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC in October 2014,[21][22] October 2015[23] and November 2019[24]
  • Performed at the Woodford Folk Festival in Australia in 2013/2014[25]
  • Performed at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in Jodhpur, India in October 2015[26] and 2018[27]
  • Performed for the President of India in December 2015[28]
  • Performed in Johannesburg for the visiting Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and a television audience of more than 200 million people in June 2016.[29]

Kellerman's flute-playing can be heard on the soundtrack of the Emmy Award-winning film Eye of the Leopard.[citation needed]

Philanthropy[]

Kellerman has sponsored the living expenses of 10 children in the SOS Children's Village in Ennerdale, South Africa for the past 15 years and has also financed the building of a house in the SOS Children's Village in Rustenburg. For his continued efforts in helping give these children a better life, Kellerman was nominated by the SOS Children's Villages for the 2007 Inyathelo Special Recognition Award for Philanthropy.[30] He continues to facilitate the teaching of young dance and music students.

Wouter is a Musical Ambassador for Project Peace on Earth[31]

Nominations and awards[]

Year Recipient Award Result Ref.
2007 Wouter Kellerman Inyathelo Special Recognition Award for Philanthropy Nominated [32]
2008 Wouter Kellerman South African Music Award (SAMA) for 'Colour' - 'Best Instrumental Album' Nominated
2010 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for Best Instrumental/Jazz/popular Classical DVD for Live in Mzansi Won [33]
2011 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for Best Instrumental Album for Two Voices Won [34]
2013 Wouter Kellerman Vox Pop IMA (Independent Music Award) for Best World Beat Album for 'Mzansi' Won [35]
2014 Wouter Kellerman HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Awards): World Music and New Age Nominated
2014 Wouter Kellerman / Ricky Kej 57th Annual Grammy® Award for 'Best New Age Album' for 'Winds of Samsara' Won [36]
2015 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for 'Best Instrumental Album' for 'Winds of Samsara' Won [37]
2015 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for 'Best Producer of the Year' for 'Winds of Samsara' Won [37]
2015 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for 'Best International Achievement' Won [37]
2015 Wouter Kellerman ZMR award for Best World Album for 'Winds of Samsara' Won [38]
2015 Wouter Kellerman ZMR award for Album of the Year for 'Winds of Samsara' Won [39]
2016 Wouter Kellerman 58th Grammy® Award for 'Best Contemporary Instrumental Album' for 'Love Language' Nominated [36][5]
2016 Wouter Kellerman ZMR award for Best World Album for 'Love Language' Nominated [40]
2016 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for 'Best Instrumental and/or Classical Album' for 'Love Language' Won [41]
2016 Wouter Kellerman Global Peace Song Award in the public voted Acoustic/ Contemporary Music category Won [42]
2017 Wouter Kellerman / Soweto Gospel Choir HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Awards): Best World Music Song and Best Music Video Nominated
2017 Wouter Kellerman USA Songwriting Competition - Best Instrumental Composition Won [43]
2018 Wouter Kellerman / Soweto Gospel Choir SAMA for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album' for 'Symphonic Soweto, a Tribute to Nelson Mandela' Won [44]
2019 Wouter Kellerman / Ndlovu Youth Choir HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Award) for Independent Music Video Won [12]
2020 Wouter Kellerman IMA (Independent Music Awards) for Best Social Action Video for ‘Baroque To The Rescue’ (feat. Konshens The MC and Lady Zamar) Won [45]
2020 Wouter Kellerman IMA (Independent Music Awards) Best Concept Album for ‘In A Different Light’ Nominated [46]
2020 Wouter Kellerman IMA (Independent Music Awards) Best Producer of an Instrumental Album for ‘In A Different Light’ Nominated [46]
2020 Wouter Kellerman IMA (Independent Music Awards) Best Social Action Song for ‘Baroque To The Rescue’ (feat. Konshens The MC and Lady Zamar) Nominated [46]
2020 Wouter Kellerman IMA (Independent Music Awards) Best Performance Video for ’Shape Of You’ (feat. Ndlovu Youth Choir) Nominated [46]
2020 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for the 'Best Produced Album of the Year' for 'In A Different Light' Nominated [47]
2020 Wouter Kellerman SAMA for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album' for 'In A Different Light' Nominated [47]
2020 Wouter Kellerman/ Nadia Shpachenko HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Award) for 'Catching Up' Nominated [48]
2020 Wouter Kellerman/ Mzansi Youth Choir HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Award) for ‘Best Independent Music Video’ for ’The Climb’ Nominated [49]

Albums[]

  • Colour (2007)
  • Two Voices (2010)
  • Half Moon (2012)
  • Mzansi (2013)
  • Winds of Samsara (2014)
  • Love Language (2015)
  • Symphonic Soweto, a Tribute to Nelson Mandela (2017)
  • In A Different Light (2019)
  • We've Known All Times (2020)

References[]

  1. ^ Alive, Media (21 May 2011). "The South African Music Awards winners 2011". MediaAlive. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Grammy Nominations". Grammy® Awards. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Billboard Charts, New Age Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  4. ^ "ZMR(Zone Music Reporter) charts". ZMR. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Grammy Nomination for Wouter Kellerman". www.bsharpentertainment.co.za/music. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Here are all the 2016 Sama winners". Channel. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  7. ^ "SA's Wouter Kellerman hits No 1 on Billboard chart". citizen.co.za. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  8. ^ "New Age / Ambient / World Top 100 Radio Chart". www.zonemusicreporter.com. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  9. ^ "Symphonic Soweto". Symphonic Soweto. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  10. ^ "#SAMAs 2018: Full list of the winners from this year's awards". The South African. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  11. ^ Ndlovu Youth Choir and GRAMMY-winning flutist Wouter Kellerman - Shape of You - Ed Sheeran, retrieved 22 September 2019
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b www.hmmawards.com https://www.hmmawards.com/hmma-winners/. Retrieved 21 November 2019. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ "In A Different Light". In A Different Light. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Wouter Kellerman Performs at World Cup". SXSW. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Introducing 2016 Joy of Jazz line-up | IOL". Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Byron Bay Bluesfest -". www.bluesfest.com.au. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  17. ^ "Russia SA Cultural Seasons return to South Africa | Department of Arts and Culture". www.dac.gov.za. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  18. ^ Mafika (19 October 2010). "Shanghai Expo boosts South Africa's profile". Brand South Africa. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  19. ^ Mafika (27 January 2010). "Wouter Kellerman: magic on flute". Brand South Africa. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  20. ^ Gullard, Maria (25 July 2012). "Flautist Wouter Kellerman focuses on mood at the Kennedy Center". The Examiner. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Wouter Kellerman & Vincent Lyn at Carnegie Hall". Carnegie Hall. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  22. ^ "Vincent Lyn, Wouter Kellerman and David Longoria". musicnews.com. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  23. ^ Jackson, Joe (4 October 2014). "Jazz Pianist Vincent Lyn Plays Carnegie Hall in a Double Bill With Flutist Wouter Kellerman". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  24. ^ BWW News Desk. "The Indie Collaborative Comes To Carnegie Hall". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  25. ^ "/". The Music. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  26. ^ "Wouter Kellerman performs at Rajasthan International Folk Festival in Jodhpur - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  27. ^ Manish (22 September 2019). "Rajasthan International Folk Festival 2018 (RIFF Jodhpur)". The Palace on Wheels Blog. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  28. ^ Zee Music Company (11 January 2016), Shanti Samsara LIVE & Exclusive for President of India | Ricky Kej & Wouter Kellerman, retrieved 3 February 2016
  29. ^ "10,000 people to take part in PM Modi's reception in South Africa". 30 June 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  30. ^ "An Interview With Grammy-Winning South-African Flutist, WOUTER KELLERMAN | All Access Music". 2 November 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  31. ^ "PPOE Musical Ambassoders for Peace". Project Peace on Earth.
  32. ^ "An Interview With Grammy-Winning South-African Flutist, WOUTER KELLERMAN | All Access Music". 2 November 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  33. ^ Alive, Media (17 April 2010). "The South African Music Awards winners 2010". Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  34. ^ Alive, Media (21 May 2011). "The South African Music Awards winners 2011". MediaAlive. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  35. ^ "The 13th Annual Independent Music Awards VOX Pop Winners Announced". 12 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  36. ^ Jump up to: a b "Wouter Kellerman". GRAMMY.com. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b c "These are all the 2015 Sama winners".
  38. ^ "2014 ZMR Music Award Winners". www.zonemusicreporter.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  39. ^ "2014 ZMR Music Award Winners". www.zonemusicreporter.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  40. ^ "2015 ZMR Award Nominees". www.zonemusicreporter.com. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  41. ^ "Here are all the 2016 Sama winners". Channel. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  42. ^ Ltd, Bozas International. "The 2016 Global Peace Song Awards announces an update in winners categories". PRLog. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  43. ^ "2017 Winners, 2018 Begins & Songwriting Tips from USA Songwriting Competition | Beetle - Email Marketing Insight". beetle.email. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  44. ^ Haden, Alexis (3 June 2018). "#SAMAs 2018: Full list of the winners from this year's awards". The South African. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  45. ^ "The 18th Independent Music Awards Winners". Independent Music Awards. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  46. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "The 18th Independent Music Awards Nominees". Independent Music Awards. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  47. ^ Jump up to: a b "Awards". Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  48. ^ www.hmmawards.com https://www.hmmawards.com/2020-music-genre-nominees/. Retrieved 14 April 2021. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  49. ^ www.hmmawards.com https://www.hmmawards.com/2020-music-in-visual-media-nominations/. Retrieved 16 April 2021. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links[]

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