SA Folk - the movement that was

lindsmuse

I came in at the tail end of this phenomenon and was so lucky to see people like Roger Lucey, Jannie Hofmeyer, Johnny Clegg, Syd and Pete Kitchen, Paul Clingman, Edi Nederlander, Colin Shapiro, Virgil Ellis, Alan Jeffries - and others - in their prime. So sad this fizzled out. Listen for Alan - makes my hair stand on end.

If I have a chance and I can work out how I have newsletter - PDF - from Third Ear Music that is more like a small book documenting this most incredible period of SA Music (Dave Marks), that I would like to share somehow here

Some of the music just sounds bland or cheesy, insignificant, boring even, but its one of 'you had to have been there' things. It was so liberating and magical for those of us who got it!

vic

Jannie Hofmeyer....we were "room mates" (if you're referring to the Biochemist at Stellenbosch Univ) and played together on occasion. He is still here but not active in music AFAIK.

Jaaa...interesting days.

AlanRatcliffe

I came to it rather late via Bill Knight, but got to know more than a few of those folk after the fact - it didn't die out, it just became less mainstream. A few of those folk are still doing the rounds. I have to mention the Blundells too...

Roger Lucey is playing for us here in Napier later this month (friend of my wife's and Bill). ? I worked with Edi for a few years - great player.

@Vic - Not Hendrik Hofmeyer? Classical composer and another of my wife's cronies - she's from the Stellies crowd (her brother still lectures there).

vic

Alan Ratcliffe wrote I came to it rather late via Bill Knight, but got to know more than a few of those folk after the fact - it didn't die out, it just became less mainstream. A few of those folk are still doing the rounds. I have to mention the Blundells too...

Roger Lucey is playing for us here in Napier later this month (friend of my wife's and Bill). ? I worked with Edi for a few years - great player.

@Vic - Not Hendrik Hofmeyer? Classical composer and another of my wife's cronies - she's from the Stellies crowd (her brother still lectures there).

Unfortunately I can't open lind's link above...will try later again...however
I think linds may be referring to Jannie H. ? He used to put music to some Afrikaans poems at the time and we sometimes had a debate around that...especially him alternating between A min and E min to ad infinitum..... ?

I remember Jannie took part in some "folk music" (they called it "luister liedjies") gigs in Stellenbosch. Jannie is nowadays an A-rated scientist (Biochemistry) here at US.

AlanRatcliffe

I removed the "S" from the https, so the vid now embeds in the post properly.

Yeah, from the vid, it is Jannie, not Hendrik

vic

Alan Ratcliffe wrote I removed the "S" from the https, so the vid now embeds in the post properly.

Yeah, from the vid, it is Jannie, not Hendrik

Oh my goodness what "a small world".....re Paul Slatter (fiddler) of Shinnery.....we were colleagues and provided the music one eve at a staff function...Paul on fiddle and me on acoustic guitar...he gave me a tape of their music the previous day for homework....lol !. Paul is nowadays in Australia...still in academics.

AlanRatcliffe

Vic wrote Oh my goodness what "a small world"

Yup. Music and academia are both relatively small circles. Speaking of which, you might even know my brother-in-law - Rufus Gouws?

Shibbibilybob

not only are they small worlds, but it's amazing how far they overlap.
A good 40% of the academics I know are musicians as well. I'm sure that's got to be a high portion.

vic

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
Vic wrote Oh my goodness what "a small world"
Yup. Music and academia are both relatively small circles. Speaking of which, you might even know my brother-in-law - Rufus Gouws?

Hi Alan I don't know him personally but he's in Dept Afrikaans-Nederlands AFAIK.....I guess you're also by now fluent in "die taal" ?
I have since moved first to UCT and then to CPUT in Cape Town (Applied Sciences)

AlanRatcliffe

Vic wrote Hi Alan I don't know him personally but he's in Dept Afrikaans-Nederlands AFAIK.....

Yup. Prof of Lexicography. Speaks I don't know how many languages.

I guess you're also by now fluent in "die taal" ?

Fairly - especially for a Brit. Or was... My wife and her family are all fluent in English though, and Napier is mostly English these days, so I don't get to speak Afrikaans as often as you would think.

lindsmuse

Alan Ratcliffe wrote I came to it rather late via Bill Knight, but got to know more than a few of those folk after the fact - it didn't die out, it just became less mainstream. A few of those folk are still doing the rounds. I have to mention the Blundells too...

Roger Lucey is playing for us here in Napier later this month (friend of my wife's and Bill). ? I worked with Edi for a few years - great player.

@Vic - Not Hendrik Hofmeyer? Classical composer and another of my wife's cronies - she's from the Stellies crowd (her brother still lectures there).

Yes the Blundells of course! - altho' I don't think I ever saw them. I'm sure they were amazing. I was friends with Ilna - Jannie's sister - but in JHB. Never met Jannie. I think it's great that Roger is so popular and still going strong. He has a great presence. Johnny Clegg and Sipho were quite a new sound for me - saw them at a Durban Folkfest and then watched him dance with his buddies somewhere (not commercial venue). He was pretty extraordinary - and I think he is also an academic if I'm not mistaken. I could play that Zulu tuning - drop high E to D, pick away and get that resonance. We all could - it was a must ?

domhatch

my folks used to frequent a spot in the 'brow, i think, called the troubadour. was a major folk scene hangout. from johhny and sipho to des and dawn lindberg, the blundells, other players of less and more fame also came and went, along with international visitors to our shores. anyone know - or remember - the place?