HOOFSTROOM

He’s been crowned South Africa’s most eligible bachelor and won countless acting and pin-up awards. But now comes Stefan Ludik’s most formidable accomplishment yet: an album that’s jam-packed with the kind of radio and club hits that will turn this multi-talent into a bonafide popstar.

Titled ‘Burn This Town’, the 15-track album is, as its title suggests, a no-holds-barred record that makes the most of Ludik’s smouldering sexuality and rough-hewed vocals to create something that’s truly exciting.

There’s no better place to experience Ludik’s power-packed music than the first track on ‘Burn This Town’ – ‘Black Girl, White Boy’. Skillfully produced to deliver an urban-tinged, thoroughly radio-friendly pop song, ‘Black Girl, White Boy’s’ ace is really it’s lyrics which are provocative and enormously catchy – especially when combined with Gal Level’s vocals.

In choosing to work with the award-winning Namibian female duo, Ludik states his allegiance to his home country in the most captivating style – and it’s something that he continues throughout ‘Burn This Town’ also featuring Windhoek-based kwaito singer, Gazza on “Keep It Real”.

“It’s such a big honour for me to represent Namibia,” Ludik states. “A lot of Namibians feel like I do: patriotic and proud of our beautiful country and the diversity of the people who live there. From the time I was on Big Brother Africa I wanted to be able to use entertainment platforms to promote Namibia. That said I am very happy to be based in South Africa which has also given me great opportunities.”

*What’s striking about Ludik is his uncontrived individuality (Stop telling me what to do/I don’t follow I lead/I’m no-one else I’m just me,” he sings on ‘Get Out Of My Way’).

Perhaps it comes from the convoluted route he’s taken to being in the spotlight: since leaving school Ludik’s been a construction worker in Germany and has run his own polygraph company in Nambia, after earning his qualification in Psycho-Physiological Detection of Deception at the WNNR in Pretoria. It may also be that even though he’s had more success than most in acting (Egoli – Place of Gold; Transito; 7de Laan) and entertainment (his star turn on Big Brother Africa in 2003 included) he’s had to work hard to get to see the commercial release of ‘Burn This Town’.

Whatever the reasons for Ludik’s engaging easiness, it only adds to the enormous appeal of this talented southern African. And his tenacity is as appealing: it would have been easy for Ludik to capitalise on the success of his two Afrikaans albums (2005’s Liggroen Doringbome and 2007’s Vuur en Water) but he chose a more challenging route. “In fact I was going to release a third Afrikaans album but that didn’t happen for several reasons and I was forced to rethink where I was going creatively,” he reveals.

So Ludik took a leap of faith and recorded ‘Burn This Town’ on his own budget and with the creative freedom that comes with that (including providing a platform for Gal Level and Gazza, his fellow Namibian artists). He struck gold when Sony Music Entertainment Africa heard the finished album earlier this year and signed up Ludik to a deal.

Alongside his passionate belief in his music, Ludik is also fiercely committed to motivating the youth of Namibia to take ahold of their future, the way he did.

“My work with the Bank Windhoek is so rewarding,” Ludik says.

“I am the ambassador for their savings account so we teach kids from primary school and high school the importance of saving their money. I talk about the importance of discipline and hard-work in reaching your goal. It’s amazing because the stats show we have reached more than 120 00 kids in just two years so when I am doing the Bank Windhoek roadshows it is a pretty hectic schedule but I do love it.”

Ludik may take his duties as a role model and ambassador for Bank Windhoek seriously – but that doesn’t mean that he’s holding back from giving full vent to his sensual side.

“We can take it fast/doesn’t have to last/we can take it slow/you don’t have to go,” he sings on the scorcher “Kick It Up A Gear” – another song that’s headed straight for radio. And Ludik dials up the sexiness on “Please”, another of the album’s standout tracks. Ludik admits that in performing his music he had “to create a different persona”. “I am quite shy really – my brother and my dad are more extrovert. I love listening. I love dreaming. So for the music I had to create a new persona which I really enjoy. I think many performers have to do this – who I am at home and who I am on stage are different elements of my being.”

The 29-year-old is also able to inject an element of playfulness into his music – like on the slightly tongue-in-cheek “Show Me The Money”. Songs like these are entirely fitting for someone who was voted Bachelor of the Year at the Cleo Magazine Awards in 2009.

What’s also notable is that Ludik wrote most of the songs on ‘Burn This Town’. He’s been inspired to write songs since hearing Queen as a young child. “I had the dream to entertain people when I was about five. I then started teaching myself how to play guitar and in high school I started writing songs,” he reveals. Ludik says he always believed he would have a music career someday – “even though I never formally studied music and in fact had a very outdoorsy type life as a child”.

Now he has bigger dreams. “People can laugh at my dreams if they like but I am a big believer in their power. Ultimately I want to go and perform outside of southern Africa. I don’t want to get stuck in one place creatively. That’s why ‘Burn This Town’ is so diverse – I mean it’s sexy, it’s edgy, and there are songs that can appeal to hip pop fans, to dance-pop and rock fans and to electro at the end. I like to think we have something for everyone in my fanbase on the album.”

Part Justin Timberlake-urban pop (“Keep It Real” featuring Gazza), part straight ahead rock (“Tear It Up”), part adult contemporary (“I Need To Get Closer”), part high-energy dance (“Disappear”), Ludik’s English-language debut is never anything less than entirely listenable. Put it on and see for yourself.



Let's Go - Ludik feat. Gazza

ludik

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