Jimmy Nevis and Craig Lucas colab for the first time. Picture: Reel Stories
Cape Town - A soon-to-be-released documentary highlighting the history of the iconic Luxurama Theatre in Wynberg will boast the voices of music icons Jimmy Nevis and Craig Lucas.
The pair are collaborating on the song Never Forget, written for the doccie, A Cape Town Song: The Story of The Luxurama.
It is being produced by Cape Town husband and wife Nicki and Liesel Priem of Little Mad Badger.
Although the Luxurama was home to hundreds of story-tellers and thousands of stories over the years, the definitive story of the venue has never been told – until now.
Nicki and Liesel have been making a documentary sharing the history of the beloved theatre and the artists that graced her stage. The couple, who started the project in 2018, were brought to a grinding halt when the Covid pandemic struck.
For Liesel, this is a very personal project – she spent the first 25 years of her life, there as her mother, Margaret Corker, started working at the Luxurama in 1980 when she was six months old, making the theatre a second home for Liesel.
International stars who performed at the Luxurama include soul legend Percy Sledge (who was granted honorary white citizenship), Connie Francis, Engelbert Humperdinck, Peaches & Herb and Tom Jones.
South African artists who appeared there include The Rockets, The Flames, Pacific Express, Zayn Adams and Taliep Petersen.
Many household names began their careers performing at the Lux, including Loukmaan and Emo Adams, Alistair Izobell, and Carlo Daniels, who credits the time he spent with the Kinders van Die Ses at the Lux with launching his career.
The importance of South African artists and their contribution to music is amplified by the inclusion of a song composed by fellow producer, Jimmy Nevis, with the Lux in mind, will be launched in July and will feature in the documentary.
Nevis said: “The documentary centres on the years of music and all the talent that has come through the theatre, what it meant to the community, and how that was an important space during the Struggle for a lot of people.
“I thought it was a moving tribute to the musicians who have come before us.
“I personally wanted to be involved, I felt like it’s kind of my responsibility to share this, I’m told history and some of the stories that I think a lot of people have forgotten.
“And even just through the process of putting this together, I’ve seen first-hand how this story has brought so much excitement to a lot of people and how they are so earnest to share the experiences.”
Nevis teams up with Lucas in a first-time collaboration.
“Aside from being a fan of Craig, he is also a friend. I didn’t realise that I’ve never recorded him or worked with him before in studio.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for us and it’s great when you get to work with people you actually like. I’m very excited to finish off the track and really find that space where our voices meet.”
Nevis said they hope the song encourages people never to forget the artists who came through the Lux.
“We shouldn’t forget the building in Wynberg – as a community we often feel forgotten, and there is a line in the song that says, ‘Don’t let them tell us that we don’t exist because here we are’.
“And I think that says multiple things. It’s not only about us as a community, it’s also about people who have passed on, they are still with us, their legacies are still with us but it’s up to us to keep that alive.
“So I think the song is a friendly reminder that we need to continue to carry that baton in the relay of music.”
Lucas adds: “For the first time that we’re collaborating, this project is quite cool, because it’s a special place I’m getting to learn about.
“Jimmy already wrote the song, so I’m coming in and just feeling my way around it, which is quite sweet.
“I think it’s written in such a way that you don’t necessarily need to know much about the Luxurama, because it stands on its own as a song which I think is important.
“At the same time, the song teaches people about this historic place.”
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