Voice of an Angel Eric Canham - Back in SA

After years in South East Asia the resident Durban singing sensation Eric Canham, is back to wow us into a party frenzy and he is true to form. Eric was recently the opening act for the new Radisson Hotel opening as well as gracing various esteemed functions around the country with his angelic presense.

Eric Canham was born In Bizana in the (Transkie) now known as the Eastern Cape. In the same neighbourhoood as the late Winnie Mandela. Life was pretty hard then. "My earliest memory of music was in my friend's home, where they were Zion Devotees." Eric tells The Bugle, "The elders would sing and clap hands while moving in circular motion in a rondaval and there would be a huge drum or two which made a big boom. The melody of that drum was simmilar to stamping on the ground. Some folks had sea shells around their ankles and the sound mimicked a tambourine."

"The songs had simple melodies, mostly sounded like we were all singing to the Gods and summoning rain. Some sounded like a war cry. I remember that at some point during the service they would close the door and it would get so hot in there, I'd feel like I was in a furnace. I was 5 and 6 years old."

Eric moved to Durban to live with his sister when he turned eight. He couldn't speak English, but before he knew it he was attending a Coloured School. He is not Colored, however he transitioned from a rural African boy named Mbulelo into Eric Canham, he was too young to ask questions.

At that time Eric started to attend a Pentecostal Church, which had a full band and every Sunday looked and felt like a rock concert to him. He liked it a lot, he said only the preaching was boring. "The older folks loved it though. Preacher preaching and someone would scream "Yes, Hallelujah, Jesus, out loud." Eric laughs about it today but that was the start of the big dream.

"When we got our first TV at home I would watch musicals, I remember Elvis Presley very well. Tried to sing like him early on. Funny thing is l couldn't connect with his music. I'd heard of Nat King Cole, The stylistics, Cool and the Gang. This music was played by my neighbors. I remember Rick Astley very well, my Cousin had his LP, Big and Small and he would be so proud when he carried that record. I was not allowed to touch it."

Eric's music education started at Church where he was a back up singer in the church choir. He quickly stared enjoying rehearsing and performing on Sundays and became a celebrity in his church. At this time he was also listening to a lot of circular music. Rick Astley, Marvin Gaye, Cool and the Gang, Bob Marley."

"My first break as an artist was working with Ernie Smith, South African Born Jazz Guitarist and singer, song writer, when l started as his back up singer. I was still working for SA Homeloans back then. We later did some touring singing at Fairs and Festivals."

In 2014, Eric got his first hotel residency at the Oyster Box Hotel. The General Manager at the time saw Eric performing at the La Lucia Mall and he invited him to an audition. The audition turned out to be a show case to a live audience over lunch on the Terrace at the Oyster box. ÒI was an immediate fit for their brand and I worked there from 2014 until 2018. Best time of my life. I was singing earning a living and learning a lot of music.

In 2018 Eric had his first international gig inquiry to perform at the NIhi Resort Indonesia. In 2019 he started his Thailand residency and that's where he spent Covid.

Now, Eric is back in SA since May 2022 and will be completing his second music album in the coming months.

Mauritius , Sydney, Singapore are all on the cards for 2023. See you at the Grammys Eric!