Overtone (musical group)
Encyclopedia
Overtone is an acapella
/vocal band that made its debut in 2006 and originates from Johannesburg
, South Africa
. Overtone is best known for their vocal renditions of pop music and diverse repertoire. In 2009 they were discovered by Dina Eastwood
, wife of actor/director Clint Eastwood
while in South Africa shooting his film Invictus
. Shortly thereafter they were asked to do the majority of the movie sound track. Overtone has featured as the opening act on the west leg of Corinne Bailey Rae
’s The Sea Tour
and rock band OneRepublic
. In December 2010 the casino and resort tycoon Steve Wynn hired Overtone as the feature band for a three month run at his Wynn
and Encore luxury casino and resort in Las Vegas. Overtone currently resides in California
and is managed by Dina Eastwood.
, Innibos and the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees
.
In 2009 while doing a Queen
Tribute show in Cape Town
Dina Eastwood, wife of actor/director Clint Eastwood, by chance walked into the show. Clint Eastwood was in South Africa filming his movie Invictus which is based on the 1995 Rugby World Cup
. She was so impressed that she booked a private performance for the cast and crew of the film. A few days thereafter they were contacted and asked to record a demo song for the soundtrack of the film. Eastwood asked Overtone to do additional songs which lead them to do the majority of the soundtrack. Dina Eastwood kept contact with the group and shortly before the release of Invictus brought them to the United States to help promote the film.
Durning one of the scheduled promotional appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Dina Eastwood ran into rock band One Republic who she knew from a previous philanthropic project and introduced them to her band. After singing a few songs in their green room OneRepublic invited Overtone to open for them at their show later that evening at The Troubadour in West Hollywood and at a tree lighting ceremony the following day at the Americana mall.
Overtone has featured as the opening act on the west leg of Corinne Bailey Rae
’s The Sea Tour
performing in Vancouver
, Portland
, Seattle and San Francisco.
In December 2010 the casino and resort tycoon Steve Wynn hired Overtone as the feature band for a three month run in his Wynn
and Encore luxury casino and resort in Las Vegas.
After Invictus Overtone moved to California where they currently reside and is managed by Dina Eastwood.
. Clint Eastwood asked them to record a demo of the song Shosholoza, a popular traditional Ndebele song which has been considered the second National Anthem of South Africa. After liking the first song additional songs were requested including: Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
(The South Africa National Anthem) , Olé olé olé – We are the Champions, Hamba Nati, World in Union, Colorbilnd, The Crossing (Osiyeza) and the theme song to the film 9000 Days.
Overtone joined the promotional team in the United States where they appeared together with Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman
on talk shows including; The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
and Lopez Tonight
.
Overtone was invited to the film première which was held in Los Angeles on the 3rd of December 2009, they also did a performance for the guests at the after party.
.
In October 2009 they added their voice to the more than 50 international musicians and celebrities who released the world’s first “musical petition” in the form of the reworked version of Midnight Oil
’s Beds are Burning
for the Tck tck tck project which aims to draw attention to the global warming
crisis.
In joint efforts with many top South African artists Overtone performed at the “Hoop vir Haïti-inisiatief” (Hope for Haiti Initiative) concert to help raise funds for the victims of the 2010 earthquake.
Overtone has also performed at two private functions in support of Charlize Theron
’s Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP)
Other organizations Overtone has affiliated them with include the Make-A-Wish Foundation
and Natalie’s Wish, a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for Cystinosis
.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
/vocal band that made its debut in 2006 and originates from Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Overtone is best known for their vocal renditions of pop music and diverse repertoire. In 2009 they were discovered by Dina Eastwood
Dina Eastwood
Dina Ruiz Eastwood is an American reporter, TV news anchor and film actress. In March 1996 she married actor/director Clint Eastwood and has acted in two films which he directed.- Private life :...
, wife of actor/director Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
while in South Africa shooting his film Invictus
Invictus (film)
Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
. Shortly thereafter they were asked to do the majority of the movie sound track. Overtone has featured as the opening act on the west leg of Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
’s The Sea Tour
The Sea Tour
The Sea Tour is the second worldwide concert tour by English singer-songwriter, Corinne Bailey Rae. The tour supports her second studio album The Sea...
and rock band OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
. In December 2010 the casino and resort tycoon Steve Wynn hired Overtone as the feature band for a three month run at his Wynn
Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas is a resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The US $2.7 billion resort is named after casino developer Steve Wynn and is the flagship property of Wynn Resorts Limited. The resort covers . It is located on Las Vegas Boulevard and Sands Avenue Wynn Las...
and Encore luxury casino and resort in Las Vegas. Overtone currently resides in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and is managed by Dina Eastwood.
History
The founding members of Overtone consist of University of Johannesburg alumni Eduard Janse van Rensburg and Emile Welman. Eduard and Emile were roommates in their fraternity and sang in the fraternity’s local serenade group. After graduating they decided to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. The other members were known to them by previous music ties and were asked to join the group. They performed at private functions, corporate events and various music festivals including AardklopAardklop
Aardklop is an annual South African arts festival held since 1998 in the town of Potchefstroom in the North-West province of South Africa. This cultural festival incorporates predominantly Afrikaans theatre, dance, music, cabaret and visual arts, and is held in a variety of venues in and around the...
, Innibos and the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees
Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees
The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees is an Afrikaans language arts festival that takes place yearly in the South African town of Oudtshoorn. The festival includes both the visual and the performing arts and is officially recognized by the South African government as a national arts festival...
.
In 2009 while doing a Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
Tribute show in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
Dina Eastwood, wife of actor/director Clint Eastwood, by chance walked into the show. Clint Eastwood was in South Africa filming his movie Invictus which is based on the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
. She was so impressed that she booked a private performance for the cast and crew of the film. A few days thereafter they were contacted and asked to record a demo song for the soundtrack of the film. Eastwood asked Overtone to do additional songs which lead them to do the majority of the soundtrack. Dina Eastwood kept contact with the group and shortly before the release of Invictus brought them to the United States to help promote the film.
Durning one of the scheduled promotional appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
Dina Eastwood ran into rock band One Republic who she knew from a previous philanthropic project and introduced them to her band. After singing a few songs in their green room OneRepublic invited Overtone to open for them at their show later that evening at The Troubadour in West Hollywood and at a tree lighting ceremony the following day at the Americana mall.
Overtone has featured as the opening act on the west leg of Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
’s The Sea Tour
The Sea Tour
The Sea Tour is the second worldwide concert tour by English singer-songwriter, Corinne Bailey Rae. The tour supports her second studio album The Sea...
performing in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Seattle and San Francisco.
In December 2010 the casino and resort tycoon Steve Wynn hired Overtone as the feature band for a three month run in his Wynn
Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas is a resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The US $2.7 billion resort is named after casino developer Steve Wynn and is the flagship property of Wynn Resorts Limited. The resort covers . It is located on Las Vegas Boulevard and Sands Avenue Wynn Las...
and Encore luxury casino and resort in Las Vegas.
After Invictus Overtone moved to California where they currently reside and is managed by Dina Eastwood.
Invictus
A turning point for Overtone came with their involvement in the film InvictusInvictus (film)
Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
. Clint Eastwood asked them to record a demo of the song Shosholoza, a popular traditional Ndebele song which has been considered the second National Anthem of South Africa. After liking the first song additional songs were requested including: Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
"Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" , was originally composed as a hymn by a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg teacher, Enoch Sontonga in 1897, to the tune 'Aberystwyth' by Joseph Parry...
(The South Africa National Anthem) , Olé olé olé – We are the Champions, Hamba Nati, World in Union, Colorbilnd, The Crossing (Osiyeza) and the theme song to the film 9000 Days.
Overtone joined the promotional team in the United States where they appeared together with Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
on talk shows including; The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
and Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
.
Overtone was invited to the film première which was held in Los Angeles on the 3rd of December 2009, they also did a performance for the guests at the after party.
.
Philanthropy
Overtone has been connected to various charitable organizations both on home soil and abroad.In October 2009 they added their voice to the more than 50 international musicians and celebrities who released the world’s first “musical petition” in the form of the reworked version of Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
’s Beds are Burning
Beds Are Burning
"Beds Are Burning" is a 1987/1988 worldwide hit single by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, the first track from their album Diesel and Dust. This song was the second from the album to be released as a single, and is among the band's best-known songs outside Australia.It reached No. 1 in the New...
for the Tck tck tck project which aims to draw attention to the global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
crisis.
In joint efforts with many top South African artists Overtone performed at the “Hoop vir Haïti-inisiatief” (Hope for Haiti Initiative) concert to help raise funds for the victims of the 2010 earthquake.
Overtone has also performed at two private functions in support of Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
’s Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP)
Other organizations Overtone has affiliated them with include the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
and Natalie’s Wish, a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for Cystinosis
Cystinosis
Cystinosis is a lysosomal storage disease characterized by the abnormal accumulation of the amino acid cystine. It is a genetic disorder that typically follows an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Cystinosis is the most common cause of Fanconi syndrome in the pediatric age group...
.