Ibhendi

Writing a bio is possibly the most daunting task artists have to face, because it forces you to confront some very revealing questions. Every fibre of your musical persona is under scrutiny, and often some scary answers emerge. But sometimes facing these difficult questions (and hopefully finding answers) is exactly what allows a band to move and progress in the direction of success.
With a recently finished EP, IBHENDI realized that a decent biography was in order. So they sat down and looked at where things started. They reminisced about name changes, interesting gigs, rough rehearsals and frustrating set backs. And they realized the only reason they are still together and jamming, is because they have a dream; a dream of making music their life. Riley O’Connor summarised it in two words; Humble Beginnings. Silence followed as the pure truth of those two words hit the others, and all knew that would become the EP’s title.
Nothing can come closer to a full description of IBHENDI’s origin than those two words. Regard Booy only started playing bass because the band lacked a bass player. Riley O’Connor’s guitar had a broken head that was super glued to hold the tuning knobs in place. A small 10watt amp was the only amplifier in the group, and the drum kit was completed by borrowing bits and pieces from a church’s kit. All four of them came from different musical backgrounds and no one had any idea of where to begin looking for performance opportunities.
But with perseverance, determination, and a dream, the four fought on and slowly but surely, nothing became something. Gigs came more regularly and much needed equipment was bought whenever someone had the money. Google searches introduced IBHENDI to marketing sites, and eventually lead them to Saga Recordings and producer Michael Nowak. With his help the EP was recorded and IBHENDI saw the first scrap of light at the end of the tunnel.
Having come a long way, IBHENDI looks fondly on the past, and recognise it as a wonderful learning experience that will help them forge on into the future. Because of it, their music contains an honest truth; a down-to-earth feel that is all about their simple love of music. Now, they produce a powerful blend of South African easy listening, blues, ska/reggae, rock and many more genres that captivates the listener with its originality, uniqueness and variety.