Bay Magazine interview 09/2010:

Ike Moriz – “Finely Tuned”

I recently caught up with international recording artist Ike Moriz at one of his favourite local restaurants, La Cuccina in Hout Bay, to find out a little more about the man behind the voice. Cosmopolitan magazine had recently described his rock/indie sound as ‘acoustic and edgy but still made for easy listening.’  I had read about ‘the distinctly Scandinavian-looking’ blue eyed, blonde haired, Jagadi Haute Couture wearing vocalist - but meeting him in person was a real treat. He’s notably laid back and hasn’t allowed his widely acclaimed success get to his head. I would describe him as someone who is very comfortable in their own skin, with no airs and graces, who at the age of thirty seven has found himself doing exactly what he has always wanted to do.

Music has always resonated with him, “it’s always just about the music. I’ve got to be true to who I am. Music is my religion. My way of communicating. When I write a song I feel like the music is coming through me. It’s a beautiful experience to write a song that becomes something that has an influence on other peoples’ lives.” I found it difficult to imagine the seriously shy child he described himself as, especially having seen him perform, but he made a decision to turn music into his profession many years ago and says that he always tended to focus on things he found extremely challenging. He’s a serious individualist – explaining how his decision to write his own music stemmed from the plastic, superficial and predictable trend of new age chart toppers. Anything different and out of the ordinary inspires him. His highest hope is that his music ‘would touch a person in a way that transforms them.’

His accolades speak for themselves: A degree in music teaching and jazz performance from The Carl Maria von Weber College of Music in Germany – during which he enrolled in an international exchange programme which took him to Rotterdam and SA. For the next six years he lived in London, teaching and playing in a hard-rock outfit called Stunt Double. He also began busking for extra cash. In conjunction with Steve Kent (George Michael’s producer) he released his first single ‘Fall into the Sun’ in 2002 which went to number one on several radio stations in SA, England and Europe. In 2003 he released an album called ‘Mirrors and Shade’ which went to number one in England, Holland and Australia among others. He also did some work on movie’s you may have seen - playing small parts in Alfie, Bridget Jones’s Diary 2, Shanghai Knights, Love Actually and Wimbledon. In 2005 Ike released his next album called ‘Play Me’, and he moved to Cape Town for a better quality of life. 2006 saw him voted one of the top five singers in SA. In 2007 Ike released his third album ‘All Around the World’ whose track ‘Starry Night’, a duet with Elana Afrika, still receives regular airtime on local radio stations. In 2009 came another 4 albums; Body & Soul, Stardust, Angel Eyes and Starry Night. His latest album Blue Moon released this year features a Hout Bay cover.

But like I said there a lot more to the pop star, singer, producer, photographer & actor than meets the eye. He’s a fierce environmentalist, has a special interest in personal development and if he wasn’t singing he’d be a life coach. ‘Seeing people shift, step into their power and what a profound impact that has on the world’ has always fascinated him.

Well our lunch had come to an end and it was time to wrap it up. Be sure to check him out on a Wednesday night, at the Twelve Apostles or on September 10th, where he’s hosting a Latin Night at La Cuccina (you may even get to check out some of his original photography!) In the words of FHM, “This cat writes a fine tune. Listen to it when wearing velvet and drinking martinis!"