Rhythm Online now offers Prepaid Credit purchases at great value (save up to 15%) for faster, more convenient downloads.

Click to learn more.

Gift Vouchers available here.

If you are a talented musician, published or unpublished, fill in the online electronic distribution agreement to have your tunes listed on Rhythm Online Music Store.

Earn commission on music sales by linking to Rhythm Online Music Store. Contact Rhythm.

Weaving lyrics of sensuality, reflection and eloquence with musical shadings in the genres of jazz, pop, and adult contemporary, Cape Town singer-songwriter Paul Abro is about to release his new album, ‘Another Way of Being’, a finely crafted collection of his own songs, recorded at Street Level Studios in Cape Town. The title of the album stems from Abro’s intrigue in the study of the human psyche, and his fascination with modern life's ability to eat away at our very core, and to diminish our very uniqueness. He says: 'Perhaps we spend our adult lives defining and redefining, ourselves, in an attempt to find our way back to ourselves' - hence the invitation to, and hopeful fulfilment towards, ‘Another Way of Being’.

Abros oil painting of his Sunflowers on the cover of the album is an appropriate reflection of what the listener experiences aurally. He has achieved a texture, quality, depth and colour – particular to his style – and reflected in a multifaceted production – a full year in the making.

Paul chose producer Chris Tait (of ‘Tait’ rock fame) because he felt Chris “has a real respect for offering space for me as the song writer and arranger - to exercise my own signature on my songs. I really felt that I wouldn't have to wrestle through the creative process - and it was a real delight working with him”. The musicians on the album include the skilled Cape Town drummer Kevin Gibson, who plays on all of Paul tracks, offering a backbeat that sits squarely in the melodies , and a brush technique (on ‘To The Moon’, ‘Fireflies Lullaby’, and ‘First Skin’) that enhances the tenderness of the compositions.

On bass Paul invited Wesley Rustin, and Dave Ridgeway (‘Day before I Met You’, and ‘Strive’), both highly esteemed and intuitive bass men from the Cape Town Jazz Circuit. James Stewart (ex The Usual) who is based at the studio where Paul recorded, played piano on two of the tracks (‘Angels Collide’, ‘To The Moon’), and electric piano on ‘Next Time’. On guitar was Tom Fox (ex The Usual) who is now based in New Zealand, who infused the songs with his magical guitar playing, adding a complexity and brightness to the mix. Rael Goodman adds her expertise on violin in 'Strive'.

Marc Maingard of Maingard Guitars plays gentle harmonica on ‘Fireflies Lullaby’, with the same craftsmanship and delicacy with which he crafts his guitars. Abro also used two of Marc’s finely handcrafted acoustic guitars for all the tracks on the album. On ‘First Skin’, Paul asked Rupert Mellor (ex McCully Workshop), to play accordion and Piano, adding a melodic lightness to the song. Paul also called in the respected singer and songwriter Lionel Bastos to complete the final crafting of three of the songs as Executive Producer, underpinning the remix of ‘Day Before I Met You’, and the mixes of two of Pails newer songs, ‘Surprise’ and ‘Fireflies Lullaby’.

The Final Mixing was done by Richard Black (ex McCully Workshop), who also lent his expertise on electric guitar on the first two tracks, and followed Pails interpretation very closely, bringing a sparseness and kindness to the sound of each instrument with his careful attention to detail. The Final Mastering of the tracks was undertaken by Chris Palmer (Layered Mastering) in Johannesburg, who complemented the work by simply embellishing the care and respect given by Chris and Richard.

Paul Abro’s sound and voice has its own uniqueness to it and although he says he prefers not to be compared to others he has been likened to Jack Johnson and Michael Franks, amongst others. On the albums first two tracks, ‘Angels Collide’ and ‘To the Moon”, he is backed by the soft sweet voice of Julia Jakobsen (of Jules and the Fools).

Paul Abro was born in Cape Town, the son of both a medical and musical family. At the age of six he requested guitar lessons and after two years of classical training ('my teacher spent more time on the phone than in the studio with me!'), he gave up on the lessons and began turning his attention to writing his own music. Abro played in bands throughout his school career but eventually stopped playing at the age of 17 when he started his University career. After 10 years in the USA in Philadelphia, he returned to South Africa with his interest having been tweaked to refocus his attention to his music talents. But it wasn't until some years later, when he was invited to join a local band that he began to explore his song writing once again.

In 2004 he released an EP, called ‘Songs from the Small Settee’, which enjoyed airplay locally and on the American College Radio circuit. Among Paul Abro’s main song writing influences are Nick Drake, Van Morrison, James Taylor, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon. All of the songs on the album embrace the possibility of hope and celebration of life, with intricate wordsmithing and poignant arrangements, and sees a dream begun many, many years ago finally realised, offering an album that leaves us all in feel good land.

From the laid back 'To the Moon’ ('a dreamy song about the possibility of a lasting love relationship with lyrics and instrumentation that lull the listener into a sombre, warm way of being”) to the more upbeat ‘Corner of my Eye’ (“challenging the passage of time and past love relationships”), ‘Another Way Of Being is an album that beckons us closer, to engage in the deeply evocative lyrics and wholly addictive melodies.

[December 2007]