We have asked some of our International Bloco friends to join us in sharing what they’ve been up to and how they’ve been dealing with the changes COVID-19 has brought.

This is Muneeb. In 2015, we participated in the Roundhouse’s On Mass. A project which brought together musicians and performers from all over the globe to create a showcase of new and exciting music. Each UK artist/group/organisation was paired with an international artist/group/organisations that was similar to their own. We were paired with the Little Giants and eMzantsi Carnival from South Africa. Muneeb was a Little Giant. Some of our guys went to South Africa to share music and experiences on their home turf and then Muneeb, Siraaj, Miles and Leo joined us in the UK for the showcase. We took them to meet some of the young people we work with, visited landmarks, played, jammed and shared our skills and understandings. It was definitely an honour to meet Muneeb and the guys!

Here’s what Muneeb has been up to during the lockdown:

Name: Muneeb Hermans

Instrument: Trumpet

Bloco connection: I came across Kinetika Bloco when they visited South Africa Back in 2015. I was lucky to be chosen on a fully funded trip to London to join Kinetika Bloco perform at the On Mass Performance at the London Roundhouse. The week also included performances and workshops with various other young musicians.

Where in the world are you? I am currently in Cape Town, South Africa.

What have you been up to during Lockdown? The lockdown has helped me prepare for my debut Album which will be recorded in the near future. I’ve also been spending more time practicing and working on new concepts.

How are you feeling? To be honest, I feel different each day. Some days I’m happy, some days I’m sad. It’s quite hard to take in that I won’t be able to hit the stage any time soon as lockdown rules in South Africa are very strict.

How do you feel about your gigs/teachings being off? It has been really difficult to take in, I miss every second of being on stage. I’m obviously aware of the global pandemic and fully in support with all measures which were put in place, but I really miss being out at gigs and also missing my colleagues and band mates.

What are you finding difficult? The thing I’m finding most difficult is to adapt to lockdown rules. It happened so suddenly, and it’s been hard to adapt to a new way of living.

One thing that would make anyone smile if they were feeling down right now: The sounds of Music, I believe music brings happiness to the heart at any given moment.

If you want to find out more about me and my band:
Instagram – @muneebhermans
Facebook – MH Quartet

Hope that works well, hope to hook up soon, regards to all.

Much love

MH

It was truly a pleasure to work with Muneeb, Siraaj, Miles and Leo Metcalf from eMzantsi Bloka in 2015. And an honour to still be in touch with Muneeb.

One last thing before we go, here’s a trip down memory lane when Muneeb, Miles, Siraaj, and Mark Kavuma jam together with Leo Metcalf