I wonder how many people attending the recent Magnificent 7 II : The Next Generation season were aware that when the Bob Marley and Juluka salutes were performed, they were watching a dynamic singer/ songwriter who has, at various times in his showbiz career, set a South African icon on the road to fame and performed live with legendary soul stars like Percy Sledge and Stevie Wonder.

That artist is Nelson Mandela Bay resident Melvyn Matthews and the star whose career he sparked (at the age of only 17 himself) was that of the late Brenda Fassie, for the "Madonna of the Townships" skyrocketed to the top of the charts - at home and overseas - at the tender age of only 18, when, with her band, the Big Dudes, she recorded Matthews' composition, Weekend Special.

And it really was a special song, which has recently received further exposure in a new book , Hot Typo, launched in Johannesburg two weeks ago.

Matthews attended the launch of the book, in which author Bongani Nadondo recalls meeting him at Fassie's memorial service after her death in 2004 .At that time, an emotional Melvyn said "I taught Brenda the lyrics and worked with her, verse for verse".

"She had difficulty pronouncing English and sang in her Xhosa-ised English, tinged with clicks. But her passion made up for everything for, even at that age (18), she was an emotional artist who would turn any song into a Brenda song. She had feeling, timing, melody, heart and rhythm and lifted my lyrics to a chaotic beauty I never imagined".

Matthews, who, like many another writer, has had royalty difficulties surrounding the composition over the years, proudly also recalls that it was the first South African recording to break into the US Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for eight weeks.And that success allowed her and her band to tour the US, UK, Europe, Australia and Brazil.

And, just for good measure, having bounced Fassie to fame, he cemented it by writing a gospel-flavoured follow-up for her called Life is Going On, which was , much later, covered by no less a singer as Sibongile Khumalo.

But, quite apart from this role in SA showbiz history (Weekend Special has long been regarded as a huge influence on the country's poopular music scene over the past 20-odd years), Melvyn Matthews is a dynamic entertainer in his own right.

With national TV and many club appearances to his credit club, as well as partcipation in earlier Centrestage presentations like the Showtime Award winning Motown Soul Groovin', That Rollicking Rock 'n Roll Party, It Takes 2 and Showstoppers!, according to Gary Hemmings the Marley and Juluka sets had far the most impact on audiences in the recent Magnificent 7 II run.

He considers Matthews possesses "a legendary voice and is one of those rare, extraordinary performers who electrify any stage on which they appear".

And those patrons who loved his renditions of reggae hits like No Woman, No Cry and Three Little Birds should be first in the queue when the star headlines a revival of the full Marley salute, Lively Up Yourself, at the Boardwalk's Vodacom Amphitheatre from Wednesday, June 20, to Saturday, June 23.

Backed by the Centrestage All-Star Band and with female singers Donna africa and Lelane Fourie in support, it'll be another all ages opportunity to see one of PE's finest talents in action.

BOB EVELEIGH