Could you turn that up, please?
It all began when the so-called godfathers of Afrikaans rock - Koos Kombuis (or his sometime nom de guerre, Andre le Toit), Bernoldus Niemand (the alter-ego of legendary South African protest musician and composer, James Phillips), ‘Dagga’ Dirk Uys and Johannes Kerkorrel - rebelled against South Africa’s socio-political system and the commercialisation of Afrikaans music during the height of state repression under apartheid.
This they did by voicing their thoughts with original Afrikaans rock music during a time when Afrikaans songs were either light and easy listening, or translations of international chart-toppers. They vehemently protested the apartheid system. To have this sort of protest coming from within the white Afrikaans community added much-needed shock value, loudly proclaiming that not everyone in the ruling minority went along with the party line, and forming a focal point around which non-racial, progressive Afrikaner political ideologies could rally. Their weapon of choice to fight the system was musical ridicule - and much of their music was banned by the government.
The movement coalesced most significantly in the form of the Vo ëlvry (Afrikaans for ‘free as a bird’) national tour in 1989. Pat Hopkins’ book Voëlvry: The movement that rocked South Africa is a definite must-read and gives an in-depth view of the repercussions and influences this era had on South Africans.
Fast-forward to 2008 and Afrikaans rock ‘stars’ are Generation Y’s idols, voicing the thoughts of the so-called ‘lost generation’ - often more pointedly and uncompromisingly than anyone else. Vast numbers of Afrikaans (and English) youth love them, dress like them and agree with what they have to say. Now, as then, they represent the counter-culture in an obstinate way that defies co-option by commercial forces.
What’s in a name?
‘There isn’t really a name for edgy Afrikaans rock. We sometimes refer to the music of Valiant Swart or Akkedis (both artists from the Western Cape) as ‘Stellenbosch Rock’. I like to call it ‘Boere Punk’, to keep it uniquely South African,’ says Charlie Smidt from the band Beeskraal, who have been playing Afrikaans rock for the past 10 years. Charlie is currently working on a tribute publication on Afrikaans music as a subculture, which honours all the role players who made Afrikaans rock music what it is today.
History records that the very first Afrikaans ‘rock’ song was folk rocker Anton Goosen’s ‘Blommetjie Gedenk Aan My’ in 1978. It can claim this honour partly because it was the first Afrikaans song that was recorded with overdrive and distorted guitars. Afrikaans rock has come a very long way indeed since then, and over the past 20 years the label has changed from ‘alternative outsiders’ to ‘mainstream trendsetters’ – while retaining musical and lyrical integrity.
The Hotlist
To capture the zeitgeist of Afrikaans rock today, Smidt recommends that one should explore the sounds of the new Afrikaans rockers such as Van Coke Kartel, Straatligkinders, Jan Blohm, Zinkplaat, Die Helde, Skallabrak, Ryno Velvet, Foto Na Dans and the super-successful Fokofpolisiekar. ‘Unfortunately a lot of other young rock groups don’t really know anything about music. They only play in a band because it’s a trend to do so. Everybody wants to be like Fokofpolisiekar, because they were trendsetters,’ he laments.
Fokofpolisiekar are indeed trendsetters. This band almost single-handedly revived the punk ethos in Afrikaans music, complete with abrasive (yet tuneful) guitar work and straight-for-the-jugular socio-political lyrics. They garnered a huge following almost immediately, which has now spread to Europe.
Take a step back to the 90’s and you’ll find the heart of Afrikaans rock in artists like Karen Zoid, Valiant Swart, Akkedis, Johannes Kerkorrel and Koos Kombuis (still going strong), Klopjag, Ddisselblom, Battery 9, Beeskraal, Anton Goosen and Piet Botha. Their songs are about love, life and the socio-political context of South Africa and the rest of the world. They also sing about their guilty pleasures in life and the everyday run-of-the-mill. Standard counter-culture rock fare, but uniquely and unavoidable informed by the historical turmoil of the country in which they live.
All in all, Afrikaans rockers get onto a stage and sing whatever they want to sing about, because they have the freedom to do so. A freedom paid for by those who came before them in a time when it was a lot more dangerous to try and exercise it.
©Photograph courtesy and copyright of Beeskraal.
©Photograph is courtesy and copyright of Alet van Huysteen.
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