Hello, I'm Dimitri

From the bedroom to the stage.

What started as a hobby, as a bedroom musician, became a professional business, with multiple bands, endorsements from my peers, public recognition and strong relationships with some of the region's best venues. It's been almost 10 years and it's been quite a journey.

My Story

I didn’t chase music at first.

It lingered… waiting patiently in the background.

I picked up the guitar in my late teens, but I wasn’t obsessed yet. Not the kind of player who eats, sleeps, and breathes it. Life moved in, as it does, and for a while the guitar became something I used to play rather than something I needed to play.

That changed in my mid-20s.

Through a chance connection, I met someone whose son was playing in a well-known cover band. I started following them, showing up to gigs, soaking it all in. That’s where everything quietly began, not on stage, but in the crowd. I met musicians, made friendships, and every now and then I’d be handed a guitar and told, “Go on then.”

No pressure. No expectations. Just a moment.

Back then, that was enough. One song. One shot. That was my “claim to fame.”

Then life pulled me away again.

Work, responsibility, the so-called real world. The scene faded, people drifted, but one thing didn’t stop… I kept playing. Quietly. Consistently. No audience, no spotlight, just me and the instrument, getting better year after year without anyone really noticing.

For nearly two decades, I was preparing… without even knowing it.

Then one day, everything shifted.

A message out of nowhere.
Shannon.

He invited me to a gig. No big build-up. Just an opportunity. I went, played as a guest… and something clicked. What he didn’t know was that I wasn’t the same guy who used to jump on for a song here and there. I had put in the time. I was ready.

In August 2016, I played my first proper live gig as part of a duo with him.

Two months later, he emigrated.

Just like that, I was thrown into the deep end. But before leaving, he introduced me to Gareth Vorster, a powerhouse vocalist with years of experience fronting bands across South Africa. That moment sparked the creation of Major Attention.

The next chapter was trial by fire.

Shannon had handled everything, the gear, the sound, the technical side. Suddenly, that was all on me. I had to invest in equipment, learn live sound, troubleshoot problems mid-gig, and figure things out in real time. There was no manual. Just pressure and persistence.

But something started happening.

People noticed.
Crowds grew.
Bookings increased.

Major Attention found its footing quickly, driven by strong vocals, tight performances, and a setlist that connected.

Then came another turning point.

I met Robbie Ferns, who stepped in when Gareth was unavailable. The chemistry was immediate, effortless. It didn’t feel like a backup plan… it felt like something new. That’s when The View was born, and it took off almost instantly.

At that point, there was no going back. Music wasn’t a side path anymore. It became my full-time world.

For a while, everything surged forward. We were playing across Cape Town, building momentum, gaining traction… and then overnight, it all stopped.

COVID.

No gigs. No stages. No crowds. Just silence.

It was one of the toughest periods, not just financially, but mentally. But relationships matter in this industry, and the connections I had built over the years held strong. When the world opened again, we didn’t start from scratch, we picked up where we left off.

But growth brings its own challenges.

With Gareth and Robbie balancing day jobs, availability became unpredictable. Opportunities were slipping through the cracks. So instead of slowing down, I expanded.

I created a third duo, That’s What She Said, later rebranded to What She Said, working with a range of female vocalists over time. Despite lineup changes, it stayed strong, adapting, evolving, surviving.

In 2023, I launched Centre Stage with Vanessa Lukin. That project quickly carved out its own identity and built a loyal following.

Then came something different.

Something personal.

Together with Gareth, I discovered Mia Simpson. She was new, raw, but there was something there… something real. Potential you can’t teach. I saw an opportunity to do what Shannon once did for me.

That’s how Nova Rise was born.

This time, it wasn’t just about performing, it was about mentorship. Guiding, shaping, building confidence. Watching someone grow from uncertainty into presence. Over the past 18 months, Mia has evolved incredibly, and every show tells that story.

Now, nearly 10 years in, I find myself in a place I never planned but always worked toward.

Four active duos.

Regular shows.
Crowds that know the name.

From knowing almost nothing about the industry… to building something that lives and breathes within it.

And through it all, one thing has remained constant:

I never really stopped playing.

I’m grateful for every stage, every musician, every opportunity that came my way.

And I’m not slowing down.

Not now. Not anytime soon.