ArtistInfo

Guy Buttery

acg, sit, p,
Folk and World

“…one of South Africa’s most influential artists over the past decade." – The Sunday Independent “Guy Buttery is something of a National treasure”, says South Africa’s leading newspaper The Mercury. As an internationally recognized musician, this multi-instrumentalist enjoys invitations to play sell-out performances all over the globe. The USA, UK, Australia, France, Brazil, and Italy have all welcomed him back year after year. However, to simply label Guy Buttery as one of South Africa’s musical phenoms would be an injustice. His international role has surpassed merely performing concerts to foreign audiences. It has evolved into one as an ambassador of South African music, inspiring people across the world with his homegrown style at the very heart of his talent and tenacity. Guy’s distinct unification of South African guitar music is the musical advocate for everything positive and beautiful about the place he calls home. At the age of 18, Guy Buttery’s debut album was nominated for ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best Instrumental’ at the South African Music Awards (SAMA’s) making him the youngest nominee in the history of the event. Guy then went on to collect two SAMA’s in 2010 and again in 2014. He has also received numerous other major National accolades including the Ovation Award for his live performances at the National Arts Festival, and has been honoured with more of these prestigious awards than any other artist. Guy was then invited to perform his works with the 52-piece KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, dubbed “Africa’s greatest ensemble” with his solo performance voted “Top Live Show” by The Cape Times and was selected by the public as one of South Africa’s Top Young Personalities by The Mail & Guardian. In 2018, Guy received the highest accolade for a musician in South Africa and was awarded the Standard Bank Young Artist Award. In almost 4 decades of honouring artist throughout the country, this was the first time since its inception that the award was presented to a musician outside of the classical realm. Buttery has worked with an incredible myriad of artists including Dave Matthews, Jethro Tull, Vusi Mahlasela, multiple Grammy Award Winner Will Ackerman, Salif Keita, Preston Reed, The Violent Femmes, Jon Gomm and countless others. The media has cited him “as one of the finest exponents of the acoustic guitar in the World.” Expect high dynamics, deep grooves, delicate African inflections and mind-bending guitar playing of an entirely new order. Quoting the Press “… extraordinary…” – Rolling Stone Magazine “Guy Buttery’s goal is to stretch the boundaries of fingerstyle guitar to their outermost limits. The most diverse and intriguing fingerstyle artist in recent memory.” – Guitar Player Magazine, USA “… his music has a subtle grace and power all of its own, coaxing sonic shapes and forms of such startling originality from it that his instrument acts as a kind of lightning conductor for the sound of another realm.” – The Mail & Guardian

Instruments

• Acoustic guitar
• Sitar
• Piano

Genres

• Folk
• World