The Charles Géne Suite is a culmination of musicians who have cross pollinated genres to produce an amazing blend of sounds. Their debut album Suite Nites was released on the 1st of July 2022 featuring some of South Africa’s most promising musicians.
On Monday, 29th of August 2022, they debuted their first music video. Not only is it a first for them but this is also the first music video that Johannesburg-based creative strategist; writer and director Hallie Haller’s has directed. The song they chose to visualise is ‘Whiskey Music’.
According to Dominic Ntonga of Normvl, the ‘Whiskey Music’ music video, which stars CGS’s family, Jozi-based lyricists Sam Turpin; Rāms; UK-based Mangaliso ASI and Johannesburg-based trumpeter Robin Fassie, is set in a dimly lit city evening of emotion and distress. Various characters are on their own turbulent paths.
The music video takes the viewer through a myriad of emotions but manages to offer a resolution for those feelings. From my perspective, the video shows the viewer the transformative power of music. No matter what we may be doing or going through, the music will help us go through it.
The music video is set in a bar with sultry lighting including an attractive cast wearing fitting costumes.
The song was also cleverly written. Sam Turpin who is the producer of this video is also the performer of ‘Whiskey Music’, alongside Mangaliso ASI and Rāms. A fun fact about Sam is that he does not consume alcohol. Now why is he on a song about alcohol? Penmanship.
Whiskey goes through a distillation process that is quite extensive. Distillation is often the last step before the liquor is stored to age. Irish whiskeys go through three distillations as opposed to two for whisky, and peat is only occasionally employed. Most of the congeners are eliminated by the further distillation. Esters, tannins, acetone, and aldehydes are all undesirable ingredients found in alcoholic beverages that experts believe contribute to hangovers.
Whiskey music, how we do it
I play the piano keys on the groove and keep it moving
Distilling the vibes, getting iller with time
And you know what that’s alright, I said baby that’s alright
Once again: penmanship. Distillation is used as a metaphor to form or let me use Joburger’s favourite word and call it – curate the vibes. Distillation is a form of removing things that do not contribute positively to your experience in that very moment but also the day after that.
This step of distillation is one that I feel The Charles Géne Suite is very familiar with. They have managed to get better with time as they explore these genres and move so freely within them. Their music has a timeless element to it that cannot be taken from them with a very specific brand of nostalgia that one experiences when listening to their music.
The song’s music video is set in a dimly lit city at nightfall, which is full of emotion and distress. Several individuals who have each had a turbulent life, experiencing the highs and lows of what we can all recognise as life, are now thrown together in this location. The air is sweetened by the expressive and honest sharing of music on a live stage; all that is cathartic is permitted to take place, and this is Whiskey Music.
