Darryl Andrews

Darryl Andrews
Genres Jazz
Instruments Guitar

Darryl Andrews is a South African jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and conductor. He has a BMus (Hon) degree from the University of Cape Town (UCT). He worked as a musical director/conductor at the South African Broadcasting Corporation for four years, and has composed a body of jazz works that were later performed by the acclaimed concert group MJ9. Since 1977, he has directed the Darryl Andrews Big Band which is a 13-piece Latin ensemble of South African young and established jazz musicians. He has arranged and conducted music for many singers, musicals and concerts at venues such as the Baxter Theatre and the Nico in Cape Town.

In February 1993, he conducted the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra in an hour-long programme of original works. Since the year 2000 Andrews has performed regularly at jazz clubs throughout South Africa. He accepted a full-time post as lecturer in jazz at UCT in 1994 and has since been pursuing a doctorate in music composition and is active in performance and arranging in Cape Town.

Early Life

Growing up in South Africa during the apartheid made it almost impossible for him to pursue a career in music and he eventually became a mechanical engineer. Since his heart was always in music he eventually quit his job and worked hard to hone his music skills while performing at hotels to make a living. He later formed a jazz group and worked for the South African broadcasting corporation. He once said, "The message here for students and young people is to never give up. With passion and hard work, success can be yours no matter what the challenge."

Career

Andrews served as a band director Carroll High School from 1949-1979. Under his leadership the school band grew from a small handful to a proud marching unit of 65. He introduced the band to precision drills and began the annual band talent show. Several times he was named teacher of the year and his introduction of the "Bulldog Rag" became a traditional fight song for the school. After his retirement in 1979 he moved to Shreveport where he composed and directed works for the Shreveport symphony and Shreveport metropolitan concert band. In October 1994 he released an album of soft music entitled "Painting with Music."

Family

Andrews has three daughters, Nabeelah Jacobs, Sue-Ellen Andrews and Jamie-Lee Andrews.

Andrews is the brother of Alicia Andrews, Alvin Andrews (former senior producer, Associated Press Television News in Johannesburg and Head of the Mandela Unit, [Thomson Reuters] Television News, Johannesburg), Jemayne Andrews and Linford Andrews (former South African diplomat and Head of the Office of the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London).

External links


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