JB ARTHUR
MUSIC COMPOSER | PRODUCER | ARRANGER
SAMA and EMMY AWARD-winning composer, music arranger, and GRAMMY AWARD-winning music producer, JB Arthur has made music his life. Working across all musical disciplines and alongside some of South Africa’s and the world’s greatest music artistes over a remarkable career spanning 4 decades, JB’s attention to detail and high industry standards have proven a winning combination for every project he engages.
JB arranged and produced the 2023 GRAMMY AWARD-winning ‘BAYETE’, which won Best World Music Performance for Zakes Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman, and Nomcebo Zikode. He also made significant contributions to the GRAMMY AWARD-winning albums ‘Divine Tides’ by Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej, Best New Age Album 2022, and ‘Winds of Samsara’ by Wouter Kellerman and Ricky Kej – Best New Age Album 2015. He was personally recognized by the SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS in 2022, winning the award for Best Produced Album (Thetha Mama by The One Who Sings), although JB has produced more than 20 SAMA-winning albums over many years for artists such as Tony Cox, Wambali, Wouter Kellerman, Watershed, and Freshlyground, to name but a few.
JB is also a prolific composer, and wildlife documentaries are his particular passion. He is the “composer of choice” for Dereck and Beverly Joubert (Wildlife Films), film makers celebrated across the globe. Films JB has scored for them (more than 20 since 2002) have won multiple EMMY AWARDS (among many others), and he has personally won Best Original Music at many worldwide film festivals.
His work as a musical director has seen him at the helm of many high-profile events and productions, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup Draw Show, the acclaimed 2010 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony, 8 successful seasons of ‘STRICTLY COME DANCING’ on SABC, numerous Miss SA Pageants and 2 Miss World Pageants, the Pan-African Barclays Bank Choir Festival (2012 – 2015) and he is the “MD-in-residence” for the prestigious annual TOYOTA NATIONAL DEALER AWARDS, an event that has always featured spectacular music shows.
JB’s years of prolific composition and production work in the advertising industry have seen him compose soundtracks for many of South Africa’s most beloved advertising campaigns, including those for M-Net (‘M-Net Animals’), Castle Lager, Cadbury’s, Nedbank, and many other iconic brands. His work in this sphere has won at the NY Advertising Awards, the Clios, Loeries, and Cannes Lions over many years.
His recent work has seen multiple trips to Dubai (late in 2023), where JB has written and produced recordings of many orchestrations for the FIRDAUS ORCHESTRA, an all-female orchestra based at the fabulous Firdaus Studio (by AR Rahman, the celebrated Indian composer). JB arranged and produced ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ for the orchestra’s tribute to Ennio Morricone, and he also produced their year-end show “Holiday Experience” in 2023 with an all-Arabic program feat. the celebrated Moroccan singer Abir El Abed.
2024 will see a return to ‘Mayibuye iAfrika’, a theatrical presentation of some of the most iconic songs from composers and performers exiled during the Apartheid era. JB is the arranger and musical director and will conduct this show, featuring a “who’s who” list of celebrated South African singers, choir, and all-star band, complete with strings and brass.
Ahead are also many studio album recordings (in pre-production), as well as some new film score work, and new projects with the Firdaus Orchestra in Dubai. JB is always ready for “the next big thing”.