Cape Town - A father and son drumming duo are amped for their world record attempt.
Daniel “Danny” and Daniel “Danno” Petersen are preparing for Heart Beat, a 12-hour world record attempt for the longest uninterrupted drumming and percussion session, at the SABC studios in Joburg on Valentine’s Day.
The pair are originally from Cape Town but now live in Fourways in Gauteng. They will be joined by a number of local artists, such as Alanda de Bruin and Lindiwe Maxolo.
The event will also be used as a fund-raiser to support local artists who have been struggling, the families of essential health workers who died during the Covid-19 pandemic, PureWild Fund, Afrika Tikkun and the Daniel Petersen III Foundation.
And it will be Danno's swansong as he leaves for the US to complete his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at the Manhattan School of Music.
Danno, known for his drumming abilities, said the event started as a way to say thank you to South Africans and to pay tribute to the great musicians who influenced him.
“I was asked whether I was making a fortune or if I was going to get a million new Instagram followers. I honestly couldn’t believe that would be considered a benefit, a way to celebrate my first 18 years. I am not that guy. I play drums because I was born to.
“Heart Beat is a tribute, a farewell celebration and a fund-raiser. All I want to get out of it is happy hearts, financial contributions and memories that will last a lifetime.There is so much good in the hearts of South Africans. With restrictions making it challenging to share the love, we are bringing the love to the audience. I hope you all have comfortable dancing shoes,” he said.
Regarding his studies in the US, Danno said: “I have already passed my first semester and I had to do remote schooling the whole period. I’m just so excited to continue studying, increase my music vocabulary and to meet and spend time with my college mates. I want to finish my Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies at Manhattan School of Music, and from that point to further my education into film scoring.”
Dad Danny, who will play the percussion, said: “I can only pray that we are able to reconnect in the future and share the stage again, even if just for a moment. My son leaves for the US later this month as a recipient of an incredible scholarship. While we might embrace the magic of Zoom or live-streaming to be able to play at the same time, we won’t be next to each other. We will be on other sides of our world.”
Danny described his son as his inspiration.
“From the moment his little hands grabbed on to my finger, we were connected in a way that is indescribable. How or why God chose me to be this boy's father is a mystery to me. I am and always will be beyond grateful to share his life journey with him. We are father and son, and there is love. We are friends, and there is teasing and laughter, and we are musicians, the student has become the teacher. I will miss my boy but I celebrate the man he has become,” he added.
The event will be live on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and SABC platforms.