Star cricketer AB de Villiers has already distinguished himself as one of the best batsmen and one-day players around and was recently named South Africa’s one-day player of the year, the second year in a row he has received this award.
Now the cricketer who so often delivers for the Proteas, the Nashua Titans and the Delhi Daredevils will have cricket fans from here to New Delhi falling off their chairs - he has become a singing sensation too!
His first album, the Afrikaans-titled Maak Jou Drome Waar (Make Your Dreams Come True), is on the shelves. AB (26) and Ampie du Preez (28), a former member of the popular Afrikaans band ’n Man Soos Jan, have collaborated on the album.
“Make your dreams happen - that’s my motto in life,” AB says. The title song is a gospel number; the guys implacably believe without God’s help and guidance neither would have overcome their challenges.
The men have come a long way, starting long before they began singing together.
Their brothers attended Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria together and were close friends. As young boys AB and Ampie watched from the sidelines as their brothers played cricket and competed against each other at the SA Tennis Championships.
AB took guitar and piano lessons at school but excelled at tennis, rugby, cricket and golf and sport always came first.
Ampie released his first CD, Definitely Maybe, when he was in Grade 11 but his parents wanted him to complete a degree at university before focusing on music so he has a BCom in financial management from the University of Pretoria.
But the music scene still beckoned. He wrote songs for Afrikaans artists such as Arno Jordaan and Elizma Theron, and helped to write the signature tune of Glitterati, a celebrity show on kykNET.
At AB’s 21st birthday party he and Ampie met again. For the past three years they’ve talked about making a CD and now they’ve made things official with their album.
AB promises his foray into music won’t affect his cricket. “I’m playing music in my free time and it doesn’t interfere with my cricket at all. Music is my hobby and my second love. Other players also have hobbies, just mine is in the public eye. Music makes me happy and I think it makes me play better.”
Next month his fans will be able to see him in action with Ampie at the Innibos music festival in Nelspruit.