lindsmuse
Not taking a political stand or anything. I'm just interested in the culture surrounding the guitar ... I mean has there been anyone since Roger Lucey and some of the others. I suppose Johnny Clegg was also a protest musician? These guys were doing unheard of things. But now, today, surely there's plenty to be writing protest songs about. Maybe we're all too sophisticated now to protest with a guitar and a mouthharp!
Banditman
I'd peg some of Bed on Brick's work as social protest music (thinking of "Funny" and "What's in it for Me?" as examples).
Riaan
Many of Koos Kombuis's newer songs.
WantzChas
Riaan wrote:
Many of Koos Kombuis's newer songs.
MOST off them ?
MIKA-the-better-one
From what I have seen of Bok Van Blerk, all he does is mildly patriotic songs, all in all pretty darn awful stuff.
Theresno real interest in protest songs here in SA now, or is there? assuming back in the day there was relevance as the majority of the population could be motivated and mobilised by such music, now however theres no one who really cares? and why should they?
vic
well,...this has the potential to becoming an interesting and informed thread. I am wondering what SA protest singers/musicians will protest against today (in SA)...maybe the fact that soooo many youngsters (mainly professional leave our shores to find a proper job and security elsewhere), incompetent administrators at all levels, hatespeech, crime, farm murders, racism, violence against women, children and men, the Reitz saga, the list goes on.... ☹ ☹ ☹
MIKA-the-better-one
You could have protest songs on that, however that is a small minority, of the population, many of whom do not and will not be mobilised by any such calling. One could consider as already mentioned alot of Afrikaanse music, protest music, and yes there is a huge market for afrikaanse music (why I dont know) but the people who listen and enjoy that music are very encapsulated in there own society, and little of that music blleds out to the rest of the society.
I eckon for there to be good protest music that actually makes a differance (and that should be its aim or else its very fake and bad) you would have to actually appeal to more of the population than your local buddies.......
Just my thoughts on the matter
vic
MIKA the better one wrote:.
I eckon for there to be good protest music that actually makes a differance (and that should be its aim or else its very fake and bad) you would have to actually appeal to more of the population than your local buddies.......
Just my thoughts on the matter
Good thoughts....but that means you will have to call a spade a spade....and few, if any, will be prepared to do that. Thus the Bok van Blerk style which is very clever... ? And don't forget, most revolutionary ideas, which eventually led to bigger things, had its origin in small groups of buddies...
lindsmuse
I would actually be interested to know whether there are protest singers in amongst our majority. If the songs that have been sung for the past few decades, of pain and injustices ...if the content is going to start swinging towards something other. There are new problems. New material to work with. I look forward with interest to see if something, anything, crops up.
I found it quite amazing when the Afrikaans music industry developed an alternative sound. There's a couple of songs that I think are really incredible - maybe more at the beginning of when this started happening - Koos du Plessis's 'Kinders van die Wind'. Saw Bok van Blerk getting a bit of a roasting on TV. Questioning his motives. Inciting the brandy and coke brigade for money. These days everyone is so sceptical. There just aren't any noble causes ... And besides which, all you need is ADSL and everybody's happy!
PeteM
For some, maybe Ibanez guitars are worth writing a protest song about. ?
lindsmuse
No no no - for THAT you have got to go in the kitchen, grab a knife and GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT!!!!!!
vic
lindsmuse wrote:
I would actually be interested to know whether there are protest singers in amongst our majority. If the songs that have been sung for the past few decades, of pain and injustices ...if the content is going to start swinging towards something other. There are new problems. New material to work with. I look forward with interest to see if something, anything, crops up.
I found it quite amazing when the Afrikaans music industry developed an alternative sound. There's a couple of songs that I think are really incredible - maybe more at the beginning of when this started happening - Koos du Plessis's 'Kinders van die Wind'. Saw Bok van Blerk getting a bit of a roasting on TV. Questioning his motives. Inciting the brandy and coke brigade for money. These days everyone is so sceptical. There just aren't any noble causes ... And besides which, all you need is ADSL and everybody's happy!
There are a few Afrikaans songs which tell about the lives of those in the UK...how they long for home etc...not protest songs, but rather infuse the story behind the story. Two years ago in Henley-on Thames, I picked up the guitar and sang an old song called "
Ek verlang weer na die Kaap"...what an emotional experience it was for everyone SA and Brit there...I had to cut the song short....the frog in my throat you know....we have little idea of the emotional turbulences in our people over there.
Renesongs
Just an opinion off the top of my head. I think protest art is only taken seriously if it comes out of the ruling majority. Maybe because protests from minority groups are easily crushed or simply just laughed off. I'm thinking here about Bob Dylan in the early 60's being part of the privileged white American but protesting black civil rights in songs like "Blowing in the wind" or "Hurricane" or in SA the Voelvry movement that campaigned against apartheid. So if my thinking is correct you will only have serious protest songs in SA if in comes from artists from the empowered majority. A kind of decent amongst the ranks (My Z$100.00 worth)
Bob-Dubery
When is a protest song a protest song? They don't have to be overt - or political.
Joe Jackson said that his "A Slow Song" was a protest song, but that the target wasn't political. Bernoldus Niermand's "Hou My Vas Korporaal" was a protest song, but not a direct one. Bright Blue's "Weeping" was allegorical but still a protest song. So many people missed the point that it got to the top of the SABC charts, even though it included a quote from the then banned "Noksi Sikekel 'eAfrika". A lot of people may have missed the point there.
The best song of protest or asking questions that I have heard out of SA in a long time is Riaan Malan's "Bloekomboom".
lindsmuse
Bright Blue's "Weeping" was allegorical but still a protest song. So many people missed the point that it got to the top of the SABC charts, even though it included a quote from the then banned "Noksi Sikekel 'eAfrika".
When protest music goes mainstream - find it really creepy when I'm walking in Pick and Pay and the 'light music' in the background is an orchestrated protest song. It's horrible.
chris77
Anybody have an opinion on the newish afrikaans shock rap scene? Die Antwoord, Jack Parow, Koolerbox... What Ive heard is way beyond k@k, but maybe I just dont get it. Might be the next wave of afrikaans protest musos.
