tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. as we settle in on what i hope is a great holiday, a performance from grammy nominated singer-songwriter jonathan butler, raised in cape town, south africa during the worst of apartheid. butler challenged the decision -- the vicious return -- regime with his music. we are glad you have joined us. a conversation and performance from jonathan butler coming up tonight.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. grammy nominee jonathan butler has always used music to bring people together, performing first in his native south africa during the height of apartheid, and a move to the u.k. began his international career. his last cd is called "merry you."mas to

i'm pleased to say in just a few minutes, i will stop talking. he is going to perform not one, but two songs from the new project, "oh, holy night" and "little drummer boy." always an honor to have you on the set. >> always good to see you. tavis: have you been to south africa lately? >> tavis, i have been home so much. it has been incredible. i have hosted safaris. i take americans to see my country. i enlighten them about south africa. i launched my foundation, jonathan butler foundation, while i was out there. it has been a crazy time of traveling. tavis: the work of the foundation is focused on what specifically? >> is focused on music education, music therapy, and also drug abuse prevention. in our townships and our areas, drug killing of people in south africa. we have local governments from johannesburg largely partnered with us.

nowave almost 100 children and teachers in the classrooms in schools. i will be spending more time at home going into townships, talking about my drug experiences, talking about music, and all of that stuff. it is an awesome project that we have been able to found an launch after 20 years of trying. tavis: two things before i move on -- when i ask about the work of the foundation, one of the missions was music therapy. what do you mean when you say music therapy? >> the school of music is in pretoria. it is one of the most, oldest townships. it is a township that has never been recognized, even noticed. a lot of the kids are from broken homes or really devastating areas. we have found that music therapy is another way of helping the children cope and work through

some of the issues. i have had music helped me through my life. just living alone without my parents on the road with adults. have professionals in that capacity to help with music therapy. believe me, when i tell you cape town and johannesburg, they have a lot going on that we don't hear on the news, but kids are being killed. kids are losing their lives. kids are murdering their parents because of this drug situation. we have issues with drug lords taking over communities. ahave partnered with wonderful couple, freddie and beth are. they have been working in the townships for years and years with local governments. it is actually moving forward right now. tavis: i have been reading about this. i'm so glad you are doing the

work you are doing. it breaks my heart. you think of all that your countrymen and women went through to break the spine of apartheid. now, not unlike our inner cities, to be battling another war, another demon, called the drugs, it's just you can't catch a break. myi stood with guests on safari. we have done it for three years. i took guests into the township and into where workers come in south africa. we had 20 people in one room. that was the size of the room. at least four families were living -- if you see four beds in the room, that is for families. tavis: not for people, for families. >> yes. it has become -- there is economic apartheid -- not apartheid -- there is a whole mother struggle.

there is so much wealth in south africa, and yet, there are so much poverty. tavis: i saw you cut yourself, and i understand why. that is exactly what it is. the rich of don richard. poor people are still struggling. it is a young democracy now. we don't have an excuse here in the united states. >> we are still dealing with colored blacks and whites in south africa. -- the colored community is a culture. it is a way of life. it is a term that america doesn't use. you know, for me, having lived here and raising my children in america, when i come to america, i'm black. when i go to south africa, i'm colored. ands a whole weird way, yet, i found the music. a relationship has made me new creation. therefore, i kind of look beyond that and try to speak for everything and for everyone, as opposed to just, hey, i'm doing

this for the colored community. tavis: i'm laughing on the inside. i'm afraid to ask what they call you in london, the midway point. [laughter] what are you in london? >> i don't even know what i am in london. say, i'ms -- i british, not english. that is what i call myself. tavis: fair enough. [laughter] the other thing i wanted to ask due performing a little bit later, and we will talk about the record -- do you mind picking up your guitar? i have another jonathan. i have a friend named jonathan. when you walk in, and i saw this guitar, that things beautiful. i have never seen something like it. this is wood? >> it is african. it is a rare guitar.

i can take each part apart and put it back together. it is african wood and canadian spruce. he is a south african builder. i think this guy is one of the premier builders in south africa. he said, listen, do you want to try this guitar? he put the amp up there. i plugged it in. ♪ i just fell in love with it. he built me two. i'm kind of promoting my buddies guitar. there are some great builders there. tavis: it sounds good. it looks great, and it sounds good. >> i feel if i dress better, at least people can talk about my guitar. [laughter] if i sound bad, the guitar is what they talk about. tavis: the guitar is gorgeous. son, polish your shoes.

you need a shoeshine. tavis: let me switch to the new project, "merry christmas to you."i'm always fascinated by artists who at various points in their careers decide they want to do a christmas cd. what motivated you doing this at this point in your life? carr, i have dave been on the road within 10 years doing his christmas shows, and i was always the only artist after the show was over sitting at the cd signing table with no christmas record. [laughter] everybody asked me, where is yours? i sang "oh, holy night" and "little drummer boy." a record-nd of like breaking cd. it is the first record in my whole career that i did in one week. i got off a cruise ship, and i started the record on a saturday. i finished it on a saturday. i was like, i've never made a record so quickly. simpled to make the song

, and i wanted to keep it personal and make it about the voice and guitar. you will hear when i play. when you check out the cd, it is mostly me and my voice and the guitar. no strings. there are a couple of songs that have production on them. dave koss plays on it, rick braun. it is mostly intimate. tavis: i'm glad you said that. i got the project. i heard that great an interest to hear these two tracks live. i-40 for the cd. it is what i love most about you, what your hard-core fans like most about you, that you can make it work with a lot of production, but you can also make it work with just your voice and just this acoustic sound. that is what makes it so beautiful, that you are just as good stripped-down as you are with all the production. that is a wonderful gift. old, 20-30 51 years records later, i think i also like when i'm sitting at home

and i'm playing -- i like the simple, the stripped-down stuff, as opposed to -- my band is real small. i don't have horns or two keyboard players. i don't use tracks. a lot of artists use tracks with their shows so they can sound full. -- i likeople kind of to hear people just play. the guitar, that's it. tavis: everybody knows i'm a big fan. can i put you on the spot? i'm putting you on the spot, but also, you can perceive this as a warm-up. just to make this point about how beautiful you are stripped- down, will you play just a little bit of "falling in love'? >> sure. ♪ falling in love ♪ ♪with jesus

♪ falling in love ♪ with jesus ♪ falling in love ♪ with jesus ♪ was the best thing that i ever done ♪ tavis: this is why i love you, man. [laughter] you hit it right on the spot and make it sound so sweet. wonder, arch, stevie friend of both of ours, he was at our church not long ago, and people saw him coming in. the pastor asked stevie if he wouldn't mind coming up and singing something. stevie came up and said in front of the whole church, i wish i had written the song. he said, i love this song. it is played in my spirit. you can go to youtube and see it.

he killed that thing. he loves her son. >> i had to tell my church -- i go to the dream center -- i had to tell the pastor, stevie sang it. i had to get up and sing it. i said, i know stevie wonder sing the song, but i wrote it. [laughter] you owe stevie something. >>, on. -- come on. it is such an honor, man. i sing like this. i feel like this because stevie has really inspired me. stevie, donny hathaway, those are the people that really inspired me. tavis: how did you get inspired to choose the tracks on the new christmas cd? ," ilittle drummer boy always do that live. i do it very stripped-down. i sit on the drum beat the drum,

as i used to do as a kid. i wanted to make it more south pe, give it a-ty different flavor. it has been done in so many ways. i thought all the songs needed to have a little touch of home. that is my identity. i feel like i need to always bring that through the music. the donny hathaway song, "it's christmas," i kind of do a different twist. i didn't really think about how i sounded. people have got to hear you rock. -- you raw. people have got to hear you hoarse. just let it out. there are so many records that are perfect. the artist always tries to sing perfect every line, every syllable. i just wanted to bring a little bit of home flavor to this album. unless you are having a spectacular week, you're not only good to be pitch perfect

every day, seven days -- >> what i did, i plugged this guitar into one channel, and i plugged the vocal and the other channel, and i handed left and right so they don't bleed into each other. i just roll the tape, and i sang -- ruled the tape, and i sing from start to finish. , . i kind of did that. by saturday, i was done. i told my record company presidents, i said, look, i want to send you something. tell me what you think. he called me a couple days later and said, man, play us "no well. -- "noel." thank god. i was like, i will put it out on youtube if you want play it. the label really supported it. i'm really blessed. there are a couple of pictures on there. you see a picture of my wife and me when we were engaged. tavis: you have a beautiful

family and a beautiful story. i'm so glad that you are doing well and that your countrymen are going to be all right, as well. >> i'm telling you, i'm so proud. i think eventually i need to have a little room in cape town so i can go home. it is beautiful out there. tavis: one of my favorite places in the whole world. if they ever kicked me out of here, it is possible -- [laughter] >> i don't think so. tavis: it's possible. i might be in cape town. the new project from jonathan butler is called "merry christmas to you." we are fortunate and blessed -- we have artie had one song -- now he is really going to set it off with two songs from the new project. jonathan, congratulations. >> thank you. tavis: we look forward to hearing you in just a second. jonathan butler live, stay with us. tavis: we conclude our holiday

show with jonathan butler singing "oh, holy night" and "little drummer boy." thanks for watching. enjoy. as always, keep the faith. ♪ ♪ ♪ come they told me ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ a new born king to see ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ our finest gifts we bring ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ to lay before the king ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum

♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ when we come boy ♪ a poor ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ i have no gifts to bring ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ to lay before the king ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ on my drum ♪ i am a poor boy ♪

♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ i have no gifts to bring ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ to lay before the king ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ i have no gifts to bring ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ me and my drum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ me and my drum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ i have no gifts to bring ♪ pa rum pum pum pum

♪ to lay before the king ♪ pa rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ me and my drum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ rum pum pum pum

♪ rum pum pum pum ♪ [applause] ♪ oh, holy night ♪ the stars are brightly shining ♪ ♪ it is the night ♪ of our dear savior's birth ♪ long lay the world

♪ in sin and error pining ♪ till he appeared ♪ and the soul felt its worth ♪ a thrill of hope ♪ the weary soul rejoices ♪ for yonder breaks ♪ a new and glorious morn ♪ fall on your knees ♪ oh, hear the angel voices

♪ oh, night divine ♪ oh, night when christ was born ♪ ♪ oh, night divine ♪ oh, night, oh, night divine ♪ fall on your knees ♪ oh, hear the angel voices

♪ oh, night divine ♪ oh, night when christ was born ♪ ♪ oh, night divine ♪ oh, night, oh, night divine ♪

♪ oh, night, oh, night divine ♪ [applause] >> thank you! onfor more information today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with actor wendell pierce about the return of "treme" on hbo. we will see you then.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs.

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