Irrisistable SA Pop Idol's finalist Jacques Terreblanche received his first formal voice training in Standard 7, aged 14, although he had been singing since the age of two! Before he rose to fame during the 2003 Idols competition, in which he finished in third place overall, he had performed at various weddings and small competitions, as well as to 3000 people at Greenpoint Stadium as part of the Klaapse Klopse festival. At the time he was in his 2nd year at the University of Cape Town, studying a degree in Classical music.
Since Idols, Jacq's life changed from that of a musician to that of a celebrity practically overnight. Apart from the many high profile performances and events he has been featured in, he has also become an ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger and Redken for Men, and he has become the face of Craig Port, (designer for Truworths and YDE). Jacq travels extensively for various corporate performances, as well as a lot of charity work. A highlight of his carreer was being invited to London to meet Sir Cliff Richard.
2006 saw Jacq's new album, Black and White, being released, in which he collaborated on together with musician-producer Peter Orczy. Jacq describes this, his 3rd album to date, as "universal". He says "There's a lot of European flavour in it. I don't know where my flavour originates from, because my music style and my love for music varies very much. I listen to everything from reggae, to rock, to pop, I studied jazz and classical music, so everything combined just creates something that comes from me...
...It's very universal and we are such a multi-faceted country that I think it's important to cater for all those differences of cultures." When it comes to the meaning behind the album, Jacq says, "It's really just a matter of me finding synergy, myself and Pete, we've got a synergy. We are great mates and the music is created because of that synergy. I think whatever comes out of that is the meaning behind the album itself. We are having fun with music and writing good songs."
