Tim Brombley. Paul Brennan, Mark Hoogslag -- a medley of original and cover songs recorded live at home in 1 take in 2023

GarBar Group 2023

Recorded in Poland and South Africa, Uthando Luyabekezela features members of the Johannesburg University Choir, under the guidance of co-composer Sphiwe Benjamin Dladla. It is sung in the Zulu language, and musically akin to the Wassoulou 'hunting song' style from Mali; a precursor of the Blues. Mark Hoogslag wrote, recorded, and mixed the instrumental section, with the valued help of Maarten Luitwieler (drums), Martin van Mourik (guitar, trumpet), and Bogdan Raatz (saz). Other instruments in the piece are the ngoni (a Malinese acoustic bass made of gourd or calabash), and the kalimba or mbira (African thumb piano). It was mixed in Reaper software.


Uthando Luyabekezela - Mark Hoogslag & Sphiwe Dladla

Charity Szczechowiak - from Nigeria, then Texas - tells it like it is, looking back on a failed relationship. Her life, her words; my life, my music (copyrighted at Library of Congress, NY)

Memory Lane - Charity Szczechowiak & Mark Hoogslag

A Summer Song is ever there was one; Shiwe Dladla lends his African brilliance to this sunny ode to buskers everywhere. It is also the first song ever to rhyme L.A. with Tai Pei. (copyrighted at Library of Congress, NY)

Give Some Love To the Girl- Sphiwe Dladla, Mark Hoogslag

walk  away  from  the machine      

Sincerity and acoustic song-writing are blissful bedfellows. Co-author Sylwia Kwasiborska and two great guitarists put this sweet, groovy ballad on the rails. (copyrighted at Library of Congress, NY)

Walk Away From The Machine - Sylwia Kwasiborska & Mark Hoogslag

I stem from a shipping family out of Rotterdam. Shantey is too often slow, dull, and sentimental accordeon music; I've tried to show how it can be something more. I did this with Dutch and Polish friends, recorded it in a wooden shed near an open body of water over two nights, to capture the freedom that a confined space brings into view so sharply. (Song written by Mark Hoogslag)

9 To Magadan

To Magadan

I've had a crush on the kopanitsa (a Bulgarian folk dance in 11/8 time) for over 25 years - ever since Andy Irvine lit my world with his 'Eastwind' album in 1992. See the video on youtu.be/3NCTFdn6gPI . All I needed were some great musicians to play one with me, allowing me to record my own tribute to this complex folk style, and, in doing so, add to the very few well-recorded kopanitsas available online. I happily share this with the world - you can download it. Singer Marlena can also be admired with her music group Gribojedow, here on Soundcloud.

Kopanitsa - Mark Hoogslag

Julia Partyka - voice and cello
Mark Hoogslag - voice and piano, percussion, engineering, production
Tim Brombley - voice and guitar
Sylwia Kwasiborska - voice

Written by Mark Hooglag & Tim Brombley in the summer of 2018, More Than Air combines song, choir, classical, and poetry music. Made with heart.

More Than Air - Julia Partyka & Mark Hoogslag

An Afro-Latin instrumental piece, combining samba with kwela; the cavaquinho (a Brazilian mini-guitar)with the sopranino (a Chinese mini-sax). An attempt at creating the most cheerful musical piece known to man.

Face It - Mark Hoogslag & Martin Van Mourik

Welcome - 
How far could I develop on talent alone? So I became a musicologist, studied at the Royal Hague Conservatory, then got a second master in English philology, to be a lifelong song writer and teacher. Mail me at mark.hoogslag@yahoo.com

Mark Hoogslag "Sound Swimmer"

Popular tracks