📷 Johan Engelbrecht

Johan Engelbrecht is a qualified Chemical Engineer with three degrees, rising from operations technical support to project management. His most enduring achievement has been the realisation that getting things done takes working through people rather than simply using them. Johan knew nothing about publishing and marketing Photo Books and has learnt from a team of dedicated volunteers (that he owes the world for their time and effort). Henry created his legacy, so as the publisher, Johan can play a small part in celebrating Henry’s life after his sudden passing.

Johan has been married to Wilma, the love of his life, for over a quarter-century. They have five furkids. He has a varied interest in music and photography and has recently started learning to play the Ukulele.

📷 Henry Engelbrecht

As Henry’s life partner for the last ten years, Annemien was closest to the author of this book, a man that embodied so much goodwill. Their shared interest in adventure motorbikes and live music saw Annemien supporting his photographic hobby over many years. With Henry working in IT and Annemien in the Financial Services industry, they were together over so many weekends and evenings with artists and friends in the media and events industries. Together Henry and Annemien nurtured friendships and created his photography opportunities in this space. As his muse, this photo was taken by Henry while practising his studio lighting.

📷 Johan Engelbrecht

Hesti Cronje a.k.a. “The-mom-with-a-vanilla-and-a-chocolate-daughter”

Hesti has a very diverse background as a qualified brain profiler, reading therapist, home-schooling mom and an adoption advocate. She has a passion for loud rock music and dogs. Hesti is notorious for always supporting the underdog and for being the square peg that does not quite fit in a round hole. She strongly believes that she was born to express, not to impress. She thrives on good coffee, sarcasm, loud music and a witty sense of humour!

📷 Julie-Ann Hoffman

Resident of Knysna since 2000, Dominic is the owner and creative at 2Heads Advertising – a small but dynamic agency that tends to the needs of both local and International clients. He is firmly rooted in the local community and can often be found involved with grass-roots projects, especially where design, marketing, print and photography are required. He is equally passionate about live music, especially South African music, and co-founded not only the Garden Route’s Blues Festivals, but Better Live Events (who have hosted domestic and International live acts on a regular basis since 2015). Dominic lives in what he calls his ‘little paradise’ with animal-loving wife Lucy, 6 cats, 6 dogs, 2 pigs and ‘thousands of fish’ (in his Knysna Aquatics freshwater hatchery). Dominic reached out to be a part of this book project because Henry was both a friend and mentor in event photography.

📷 Henry Engelbrecht

Wendy is a music nerd, mom and record label executive. As Regional Manager for Africa at Ditto Music (previously Universal Music, OppiKoppi), she heads up operations for the distributor across the continent, building careers on streaming services and delivering marketing strategies for Independent Artists and Labels.

An avid vinyl and CD collector, Wendy enjoys spending time with family, gardening, travelling and food, especially a good Durban curry. Henry was a close friend and confidant, and they frequently worked together.

📷 Dominique Baxewanos

Creative Director by day, music photographer by night, coffee addict…always. Dominique joined this project as a tribute to Big H, her festival-pit comrade for the past decade.

“I may not have much to give, but I give my time for you, Henry. Watching you grow as a photographer has been one of my greatest joys. Your passion and never-ending energy were an inspiration. I’ll keep a spot open for you. Stage left as always big guy.”

📷 Christelle Duvenage

Christelle studied at the Vaal University of Technology and managed to secure a B-tech in photography before her love for the music scene swooped her up and carried her to all kinds of venues in all kinds of places, shooting all kinds of bands and meeting all kinds of faces.

“We have given chase to regretless days, disregarding what we lack. If it takes a million miles we’ll find the time, we’ll get that gas! There are moments I doubt if we’ll ever make it back. There are times when I don’t question that…
…we’ll get away with this.”

And she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

📷 Lamb Shank Productions

Henk Van Der Schyf is a family man and entrepreneur based in Pretoria. His passion for music and business has led to some groundbreaking and foundational projects in the Gauteng entertainment industry. Most notably, Henk is co-founder and co-owner of PARK ACOUSTICS, CAPITAL CRAFT, AFRICAN BEER EMPORIUM and TSHWANEFONTEIN. Most of these projects require very little introduction to anyone involved in the South African music and hospitality industry, and all of them serve as thriving meeting places for creative minds.

📷 Henry Engelbrecht

Finn MacKinnon (aka Archie) is a drummer (Caution Boy, SCRAMBLERS), a serial entrepreneur (Burning Groove, Tjoon), likes to throw parties (Bobbejaan, Boogy Central) and a professional music fiend (Tic Tic Bang) – though if you feed him enough beer or coffee it will become clear that he likes the people in music most of all.

The intersection of good people and music is how he became a friend of Henry’s and how he became involved in the making of this book. He is most comfortable on a skateboard, in the jam room or at a show – outside of those settings he is socially awkward, a bit shy and probably wants to go home.

📷 Johan Michiel de Jager

📷 Dominique Baxewanos

Not that kind of IT, but also exactly that kind of IT. Julian makes magic with code (thank him for this website working), and pancake batter. We’ll always remember the day Julian made fresh pancakes for Henry and the content crew at the last OppiKoppi in Northam. It’s the little things

📷 Henry Engelbrecht

Nathan is a passionate young photographer and videographer from Pretoria. He functions best on 3 hours of sleep, black coffee and badly rolled cigarettes. He may be a big guy but he’s a teddy bear at heart, always ready for a hug, a chat and a laugh.

Nathan is an avid music lover and prides himself in his yearly listening statistics, monthly obscure playlists and ability to say: “We should start a band, I can do vocals” to at least three people every weekend. He is also very well known for thinking that The Tazers were from Cape Town.