The little boy was confused and a bit nervous, but, at the same time, he felt an irresistible pull to the sound. He shuffled his sock-covered feet closer to the sound. It was coming from the lounge. He had heard it before, but before he was too little to go and investigate.
“Wat op des aarde gaan daar aan?” he wonders as his eyes behold his older brother’s fingers flying across the piano keyboards creating magical sounds that speak to his very soul.
And that was how the super-talented, Rodney Buys, discovered his gift for making music. To this day Rodney has had no formal training, and he literally taught himself by watching his older brother and doing what ouboet was doing. Since then, he has honed his skills by leaning from the best in the business.
So, when he first sat down in-front of a keyboard at the age of 5-ish, the sounds just flowed naturally from his soul through his fingertips, no lessons required.
“It’s definitely a God-given gift, that’s for sure,” says Rodney who started off his music journey by playing in bands and support acts in the gospel scene.
Today (Friday 27 Feb '26), as I write this (after chatting to him yesterday), Rodney is sitting on a plane bound for the Seychelles. His talents have also taken him to places like New York, London, Zambia and Namibia.
He can’t tell me anything juicy about the gig in the Seychelles because of an NDA, but he did say it was a “very high value client.”
Rodney will be on-call, together with the rest of the band he is with, to perform for the client during a 3-week stint in the Seychelles, and no guesses for what he will be doing when he is not tickling the ivories. Did someone say Virgin Pina Collada?
Sound good? Well, it could be you sunning your bod on a breathtaking island doing what you love and earning a decent living from it. But… it’s not that easy.
“The local music industry is, like it is anywhere else in the world, very cut-throat,” says Rodney. “Whether you’re a singer or you play an instrument, you are competing in an arena filled with natural talent.”
Networking is the secret
I asked Rodney how he, a humble Capetonian, who has lived in Atlantis and various suburbs in the Peninsula, including the Northern Suburbs, finds himself in this enviable position.
“It was not an easy journey, and I have paid my dues. The secret, in my opinion, is the network of existing musicians and entertainers from the community who are always willing to help to give you an opportunity to share your talent. If you are not tapped into that network, you will struggle, another ingredient is perseverance, never, ever give up. Talent is a given, the real maestros who make it, all have real talent, but there are many of us who are born with talent, but it still does not guarantee success because the market we play in is all about the look, the vibe, and what sells.”
“However,” Rodney adds quickly, “social media has had a direct impact on art in all its forms. Look how Tyla was discovered, by a TikTok dance, and look where she is now.”
“And of-course the other important factor you need to succeed is a good support team and an attitude of gratitude.” As he says this, he turns his head to smile at his fiancé, the lovely Alizan Africa, who he says has been with him through it all. “She also acts as my manager, booking gigs and stuff, but also is an event manager in her own right.”
Alizan smiles back with a sense of knowing and tells me that anyone reading this can follow Rodney on his socials and reach out for bookings or general insight into the industry.
Rodney’s next major gig will at the event below.
I wouldn’t miss it if I were you. #BYOH
