Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. South African Singer-Songwriter Bursts onto World âNu Folkâ Scene South African singer-songwriter is fast gaining international reputation as world-class folk musician Darren Taylor | Johannesburg, South Africa 27 September 2010 Photo: D.Taylor Laurie Levine, seen here performing at Johannesburgâs Radium Beer Hall, is fast garnering a reputation as one of South Africaâs finest ever folk and roots musicians Inside the cool but smoky confines of Johannesburgâs Radium Beer Hall, about 50 people gather to listen to a young woman South African music critics are calling one of the countryâs best-ever folk artists. The raven-haired singer-songwriter, wearing knee-length boots and a stylish, sleeveless black patterned dress, sits cross-legged on a stool, guitar in hand. She smiles easily, jokes with her audience and exudes a gentle confidence. L. Levine The cover of Levineâs latest CD, âLiving Roomâ, which was nominated for South Africaâs top music award The Radiumâs one of South Africaâs oldest and most respected music venues, but Laurie Levineâs accustomed to even bigger things. Her fast-growing reputation has seen her perform at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Sheâs played one of the most famous nightclubs in the world, New Yorkâs legendary CBGBâs. Sheâs headlined The Forum in London. Sheâs opened for multiple Grammy-nominated English pop maestro Joe Jackson at Johannesburgâs Montecasino complex.  Yet Levine remains an entertainer of little pretence. During an interview following her gig at the Radium, a soft-spoken Levine stresses, âThe music comes first, then the performer.â  âRebellionâ against past Her new album is entitled Living Room. Levine explains, âItâs really a very intimate record. Itâs a record that was produced with the intention of creating a very live feel, a very organic feel.â In Levineâs quest to make âorganicâ music, sheâs placed herself within an international musical movement that in recent years critics have labeled âNu-Folk.â All over the world â but especially in the United States â thereâs a sudden upsurge of quality folk, folk-rock, country-folk and Americana artists. These musicians are largely abandoning computerized effects and âplasticâ over-production in their recordings, in favor of simple, ârawâ sounding music using ârealâ instruments and thought-provoking lyrics. D.Taylor Levine has performed in live music venues around the world, including New Yorkâs legendary CBGB nightclub Levine reflects, âI think itâs got to do with a rebellion against the past. In the past, we had this explosion of technology available to musicians and you could basically make any sounds you wanted just by pressing computer buttons. But I think a lot of modern musicians are realizing that this is an artificial way of making music. They now seem to desire a purity that perhaps wasnât there before.â   On Living Room, Levine collaborated with highly acclaimed South African producer Dan Roberts. âWe really tried to capture the spirit of the songs using a huge variety of instruments, such as mandolin and banjo and accordion. So in that sense itâs a bit more experimental for me than my previous work and itâs a bit more rooted in folk and country,â she says. Levineâs fresh approach, using her jazzy, soulful voice, has seen her latest album nominated for a South African Music Award, just as her first was.  No âfancyâ effects âDan Roberts works a lot with microphones close up to the instruments. He says he likes the instruments to âbreathe,ââ she says. âYou can really hear the sound of the strings being played and pressed, and you can hear the breath when Iâm singing.â Both Levine and Roberts share a mission to capture the ânaturalâ sounds of each instrument. âWe also recorded the whole sound (of Living Room) live, so you get that sense of a couple of musicians in a room playing a song. Then we layered it with other sounds.â But they stayed away from fancy effects, the singer emphasizes. D.Taylor An image from one of Levineâs releases signifies her deep connection to the South African landscape âWe didnât use a lot of compression; we didnât use auto tuning. We kept the sound very naturalâ¦. In my record you can hear a bit of the garden sounds because I recorded in a home studio. On one track we even used natural sound from the seaside.â Levine writes songs about âpretty intimate, personal experiences. Stuff thatâs unspoken, thatâs in the subtext of what happens every day but that we donât really talk about. My songs give voice to that.â In her latest work, though, she sometimes transcends the personal to tell the stories of women who exist on the âfringes of society.â In her song, âNameless Face,â for example, she focuses on a sex worker, a homeless person and a cleaner. From Steve Earle to Tinariwen As much as the artist recognizes that sheâs part of a new musical progression, she also acknowledges some of her influences are rooted âfirmlyâ in the past. D.Taylor Levine maintains an easy, relaxed rapport with audiences, ensuring that sheâs a popular performer wherever she goes âItâs really looking back to some of the songwriters who have inspired generations of singers â like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen â and taking those influences and blending them with a contemporary sound,â Levine maintains, adding, âSomeone who does that really beautifully is (American country-rocker) Steve Earle, because heâs really rooted in country. And yet on some of his albums he creates these beautiful loops which perhaps the Bob Dylanâs and the Joan Baezâs may not have usedâ¦.â Levine therefore describes âNu-Folkâ as âa blend of the old and the new and an experimentation of sorts.â She also considers Tinariwen, the ârebelâ Malian Taureg group, to be part of the current âorganicâ movement making ârealâ music, but with a âmodernâ feel.  Levine says, âThat is quintessential African music but yet itâs so accessible to the rest of the world because it does have an almost electronic feel to it.â African music Although many of her influences are American, Levine maintains sheâs âproudlyâ African. âAfrica represents so many different cultures; there are so many different influences (here) from all over the world â from blues to jazz to folk,â she says. D.Taylor An image from Levineâs debut album, âUnspokenâ Levine adds that Africaâs âsuch an exciting place to beâ because the continentâs musicians are willing to âamalgamateâ so many different styles. âLike Tinariwen, youâre blending your home influences with what youâre hearing from the rest of the world. You have a really beautiful blend of contemporary, western influences with deeply rooted traditional African influences. This makes it a very dynamic musical culture here in Africa.â Levine comments that âno matter how big or smallâ she may become as an artist, sheâll always remain true to the âmusical spiritâ thatâs alive inside her. âSometimes, thatâs the only thing that seems real to me,â she saysâ¦. And to the many thousands of people whoâve been moved by her extraordinary talent. .