ANTONIO GOZADINOS (Toni Gozza)

Date of Birth: 19 April 1957
Place: Athens Greece

Background:

I arrived in South Africa from Athens in June 1963 with my family. At the age of 5 I started playing guitar and vocals with my father and my brothers with our family band.

I am from a musical family where my late father and 3 bothers all played instruments. Later I attended Skoularikos School of Music where I learnt to play piano and read G and F clef. I completed grade 4 in classical piano. Whilst still playing guitar and vocals in my school band The Bravado’s with my brother Stavro on drums, Chico dio Nissiou on bass and Alvaro das Neves on second guitar.

Later my brother Stavro left the band to study Motor Mechanics and Engineering and I took over as the drummer. After finishing Matric at Damelin College I joined my older brother Costa the bass player in his show band at the famous Funorama Cabaret venue where we backed artists from all over the world.

This was the beginning of my professional music career.

1976 – 1979 While doing a hairdressing apprentiship, I played with High Aim (Top 40 cover band)

1979 – 1982 I qualified as a Hairdresser and played in Thrust rock band. Jiggs Downing on bass, Peter Zimmerman (now with the German Philharmonic Orchestra) on keyboard, Abigail on vocals, Cliff Bruce on brass. We played on the rock club circuit in Johannesburg. As a band we wrote a four part S.A.B.C. Television series Just and Imagine. During the time of Thrust I played and did studio sessions with top South African musicians such as Mally Watson (Brenda Fassie’s producer), Mike Pilot, Kevin Kruger, George Wolfhard, Hennie Bekker and Trevor Rabin of the conglomeration band who later had the famous Rabbit and Yes. Baxtop South Africa’s top blues band at the time broke up and Larry Amos asked Jiggs and myself to join him at Eshers with our new band Larry Amos Blues Project.

1983 – 1986 I performed on the Sun International music circuit and was managed by Maurice Friscoe Theatrical Agency. During that time Jiggs Downing and myself were the first South African rhythem section (bass and drums) chosen to join Time Out a theatrical backing band with the top U.K. musicians associated with the English International Musician Union. After two years we left our residency at Gigi’s to complete our contract as Time Out at the Villa de Ceasaris at the Sandton Sun International Hotel, Johannesburg. Late 1986 we were invited by King Mswati II to attend and play at his inauguration in Swaziland.

1988 – 1991 I was a founder member of the famous South African rock and blues band FAT CITY. It was the highlight of my musical career because we hit the big time in the late 80’s with the hit single and video Bad Habit. Our mafia/blues brothers style and big sound created a cult following with packed out venues wherever we performed. It was during this period that my writing skills had peaked with number one songs on the national radio charts and with a video of the year award for Bad Habit. Loose your Shoes went to number six while Slow Horses went to number nine.
Bad Habit also features on the album SOUTH AFRICAN ARTISTS TOP 40 HITS OF ALL TIME double CD released in March 2002.
It was also during this time that I collaborated with Neville Nash on a number of jingles and theme songs for movies, television and radio. The likes of The Maize Generation, Mercedes Benz, Johnson and Johnson, Fiat Uno launch at Sun City Superbowl (the amalgamation of Nissan and Fiat), Pioneer, Wilson Roundtree, Desert Surfer movie theme song and Tiger Wheel and Tyre theme, Red Nose Day theme and many others. As I had gained much experience backing artists on the circuit, the theatre musical producers started using me on drums and percussion in a variety of productions. Richard Loring’s - Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, Never On A Sunday. PJ Powers – Janice the Janice Joplin Tribute at Maximus Theatre at Emperors Palace.

1991 – 2003 When my favourite bass player in South Africa, Jiggs Downing, decided to persue a theatrical backing musicians career I started a great funky soul band Apostrophe that toured the jazz café club circuit in South Africa. This group’s funk/soul influence aroused my creative spirit and I wrote and performed most of my solo titles. You’re the Fire reached the number one spot on Radio Luc de Geneve and was recorded and produced by Phil Collins, for The Little Dreams Foundation. www.littledreamsfoundation.com
Due to the publicity of the song, I decided to move to Europe in 2001 to get a grip on the song writers and authors music rights organizations. My success came when I was requested to compose another ballade for Joanna Garcia’s solo album motivated by Little Dreams Foundation and Phil Collins who once quoted that my music “was the most creative he had ever heard from a South African artist”. My music can be heard and downloaded at the following sites:-
www.soundclick.com/tonigozza and www.soundclick.com/fatcity

2004 – 2006 After having toured with my new Apostrope band in Europe (Athens, Barcelona, Rome, Geneva, Leone, Rotterdam, Delfdt and Milan) I eventually ended up living in Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games. I became dispirited after playing solo gigs on many Greek Islands but with no compassion and always looking for musicians to join or to create a new band but I had difficulty in finding similar musically minded musicians. In August 2005 I moved to Geneva in Switzerland to collect my royalties on my way back to South Africa and I was invited to do a Neil Diamond repertoire by the owner of the Algarve Ristorante in Geneva where again I played guitar unplugged and sang my favourite Neil Diamond songs to a packed international audience nightly for two months.
October 2, 2005 I arrived back in Johannesburg and was totally relieved to be back home. A month later my family and music friends encouraged me to start a new band as I was really thirsty to once again play the music circuit in my home town.
Larry Amos the world class blues player and singer phoned to book me for live concerts, television shows and live corporate gigs nationally. Once again I was stunned to be in the most soulful/blues rock outfit in Johannesburg. www.larryamos.com
For the first time in my life in August 2006 I was one of five international judges at the WBOB - World Battle Of the Bands Competition.

2006 – 2007 After playing and touring with Larry for a year we took a breather to record an album for the Larry Amos Band. I took a break and played and toured with various South African artists. In November 2006 the band Raging Calm was born. Featuring singer/songwriter Amber Wallace and the U.S.A. blues guitar legend Gene Deer and bassist Roussow Van Aard. Together we produced a powerful soul and blues outfit that has charmed even the toughest critics. Gene and Amber are currently touring U.S.A. and are booked to return on the South African casino music circuit in September 2007. I am still playing with everyone ha ha ha on the circuit doing studio sessions, live corporate gigs and concerts incorporating my hairdressing into my busy daily schedule.