It was her passion that caught my attention when I first had a glimpse of sensational electric violinist Caitlin de Ville on Youtube.
Her sense of style and pizzazz, the way she manoeuvred as if she’s caressing the violin, there’s no question Caitlin is no ordinary artist. The energy she possesses makes it obvious that she enjoys being centre stage and just watching her perform is quite an intriguing experience.
IOL taught up with this YouTube star as she prepares for her live performance at the highly anticipated event on the social scene, Le Kap Lifestyle Fair at Steyn City, this Saturday.
“I'm really excited about performing at Le Kap Lifestyle Fair, it sounds like it's going to be incredible. I'm being dressed by the amazing Jacques La Grange Couture, so I'm going to look and feel fabulous.”
Making its debut in Joburg following a three-year success story in the Mother City, the event promises the ‘best-in-class’ experience in music, fashion, food and entertainment.
“I have a few fun sets of current pop, dance and originals planned for the afternoon – all very vibey and upbeat,” she adds.
With more than 25-million views on her YouTube channel, the Zambian-born star takes us down memory lane, crediting her success to hard work and perseverance.
“I've been uploading videos to YouTube since 2009. Growth is definitely exponential, so it's taken lots of perseverance to get to the exciting phase my channel is experiencing this year. I think it's as simple as people can tell I'm passionate about what I do, they enjoy seeing that and then go on to share my work.”
Talking about the impact of social media on her career, De Ville admits she owes her International exposure to the power of technology.
“I don't believe I'd perform outside of the country nearly as much if it wasn't for my YouTube videos gaining me international exposure. My fan base is pretty thinly spread across the world, so being able to reach and interact with my supporters via all of the various social media platforms is vital.”
Seeing her command of the violin, it is hard to believe that Caitlin is self taught. She also claims she is a “terrible singer” which, judging by her musicality, I find hard to believe.
Caitlin De Ville. Picture: Instagram
She said since there was one to teach her following her teacher’s departure, she took it upon herself to improve her craft.
“I was taught the very basics but then my teacher moved overseas.
“I would download pop songs I liked as MIDI files, but because I couldn't read the music I'd sort of fumble about till I found the right sounding notes to play along with them.
“This was pre-YouTube. I wish I'd had access to the tutorials available today.”
While she has travelled the world and has made a home in South Africa, De Ville still visits Zambia frequently.
“I still think Zambia is the friendliest nation ever and there are exciting things happening in the music industry there these days...there's no place like home but South Africa is one of the greatest countries in the world.
“We're so spoilt here with amazing talent and such vibrant diverse cultures – I've performed in 25 countries on 5 continents now, but go a little crazy if I'm out of Africa for too long. There's nothing that beats that spark that energy of Africa and Africans.”