Cape Town’s acclaimed, SAMA award-winning instrumental pop group Sterling EQ has released a music video epic of their rendition of the Dan Heymann song “Weeping”. The video, shot in the heart of Cape Town, stretching from Khayelitsha to Table Mountain, features the all-woman trio as well as a group of children from Muzukidz, a local organisation that offers violin tuition to children from low income township families.
The video follows the story of one of the children and her mother, journeying from their humble home deep within the township, to their respective destinations in town. Sterling EQ’s members are omnipresent as their performance of Heymann’s melody flows together with the unfolding story. Supported by beautiful cinematography, the contrasts between the scenes that are set in various areas of Khayelitsha and Langa, and the more abstract ones filmed on Table Mountain, are both stunning and thought-provoking. The wonderful story of hope and opportunity that is revealed, is juxtaposed with the mother character’s slog, while her connection with her daughter remains a strong thread throughout.
Filmed by Warren Mac Carthy from Seed Media and Rudolph Michel de Girardier, the video was shot over 3 days, across more than 20 locations. Production planning started in earnest in November last year, but Sterling EQ had been planning this video since they recorded the song for their 4th album 10 Years of Sterling EQ, which was released in 2017. “We had set aside a few days in December 2017 to shoot, but we had to postpone due to availability challenges, and only picked up the idea again late in 2018. In retrospect, the timing was perfect, as we discovered and formed a relationship with Muzukidz in mid-2018, and they just had to be in it – the video concept was incomplete without them”, said Carina Bruwer, Sterling EQ’s flute player who also executive produced, co-directed and edited the video.
Sterling EQ has won numerous awards, performed across the world and shared stages with some big national and international names. The group is known for its virtuosity, fresh beats and innovative productions. Yet to them, Weeping – a more simplistic and introspective melody and production – represents one of the highlights of their 11 year career. “Arranging a song that is larger than life and steeped in history, is a good challenge. Our rendition of Weeping is simplistic and humble, reflecting the beauty of the melody and allowing the listener to feel the gravity of Heymann’s composition, and to reassess where we currently stand as South Africans, perhaps”, says Bruwer. “The video is very close to our hearts and we are delighted to feature the beautiful and talented MUZUKIDZ in this South African story of hope, sacrifice and opportunity. We have poured our hearts into this short film and we can only hope that South Africans will resonate with the sounds, the feelings and the messages of hope, without having to deny the pathos therein.”