HOT NEW CD! Joshua Na Die Reën – Die Wêreld Binne My


The unique music style and soothing voice of Joshua na die Reën captivated listeners ever since the first notes of his debut album, “Joshua na die Reën”, in 2014.  Ghoema music awards for Newcomer of the Year and Best Contemporary Male Artist, plus a Huisgenoot Tempo award for Best Newcomer, a Woordfees award for Best Solo Artist and theme songs for various films, television programmes and campaigns, saw the start to a successful career.  
 
His success is celebrated this year with the  release of a new album written and composed by this talented musician.   

Lyrics and music that will give you goosebumps best describes Joshua na die Reën’s new album, “Die Wêreld Binne My” (The World Inside Me).  His velvet voice is surrounded by interesting combinations of contemporary sounds and instruments, that was combined with great care to produce an end product that will captivate his fans once again.

“Ek is gebou, jy is gebou en die Wêreld binne my is in afwagting oor jou. Kom hardloop deur my woude, kom swem hier in my see. Wees somer oor my berge, want dis hier waar jy regeer - ek in jou en jy in my...” are lyrics from the single, Die Wêreld Binne My, that will be released soon by radio stations across the country.  This song is a blend of compelling truths of life that will cause some reflection and moving melodies that will have you humming along.  

“The title song is basically a combination of what I would like to say with every song on the album. That is all-in-one,” says Joshua na die Reën. 

The song themes on the new album differ from the first album, which were about hope and dreams, but this time  the theme is of a more personal nature and are about the world inside each individual. 
Joshua na die Reën explains through the song titles,“Over the ‘Heuwels & Berge’, the ‘Stof & Sterre’, the ‘Droogte’, the times that everything feels ‘Stroomop’, the times when one dreams and the beauty in it all... the good and the bad times.  The genre however remains Stadium Rock”.
He continues by saying, “Ever since we completed the first album, the theme of the new album has been churning in my head, being that there exists a world  within each one of us that will never be understood by anyone.  Our purpose is to allow other people into our own space so that together we can walk a path of appreciation regardless of our differences.  Scenes from nature and people’s stories inspire me but it all came home the day I realised that the difficult times in one’s life is more often the best gifts if only you decide to appreciate it and learn from it, otherwise it may turn into your biggest foe, awaiting you at every turn.”   

There are sixteen original introspective tracks on the CD, of which the lyrics have been completed over a year ago, but over time they all developed and grew into hit songs that will be life changing.
“The greatest challenge is to always get the specific emotion across of what I feel when I experience the things I sing about.  So things were done a little differently with this album.  A variety of sounds and instruments were used to create the feeling and image we wanted to portray.  The challenge was to not lose any effects during the mixing and mastering processes, which resulted into an extended mastering process of nearly seven months but ensuring that the listener will be treated to the full effect.  I am very pleased with what the producer, Ben Ludik, and my brother, Pierre de Villiers, have done with this project.  It is seldom that you find people that will give their all and I am very thankful.  Additionally, the voice recordings were not done in studio.  I personally made recordings with my microphone and laptop as and when I felt the inspiration and that in itself was very special”, says Joshua na die Reën.  

Although he does not want to make a personal exception, Joshua na die Reën believes that listeners will appreciate the title track Die Wêreld Binne My, Stroomop, Stof & Sterre en Dromers the most.  The theme songs from the Afrikaans movies, Vir Altyd, as well as Voshaarnooi and Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling, also forms part of the playlist.    

One of his longtime dreams came true when the album was recorded in collaboration with the TUKS Camerata Choir.  During 2015 they performed together in a number of concerts under the auspices of Michael Barret, and decided to incorporate the choir in the recordings of Die Wêreld Binne My.  On the 13th of March 2016, the choir performed with Joshua na die Reën in the Aula Theatre at the University of Pretoria, to introduce the public to the full repertoire of the album.  “It was such a privilege to work with the choir. This was something that I really wanted to do.  The dimension that was created, reverberates like an age old echo.  It will be a dream come true to tour the country with the choir sothat the public can experience the effect of this brilliant choir accompanied by a band”.
Joshua na die Reën has, apart from Huisgenoot Skouspel, shared the stage with well known artists such as Elvis Blue, Jak de Priester, Amanda Strydom, Laurika Rauch, Richard van der Westhuizen, Die Heuwels Fantasties and many others and hope to still work with many other musicians to gain valuable experience.  Other items on his wishlist is to do an overseas tour and to perform a song with Elvis Blue.  But for now, the focus will be on new music videos and the marketing of the new album. 
As an artist, Joshua na die Reën believes that music can express emotion when words fail, as is the case with Die Wêreld Binne My, which forms a collection of moving soulful music that invites you to open your heart and undertake the journey of humanity. This indeed can only add to the winning recipe of Joshua na die Reën.   

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