Kalahari Blues

In 1987 a young protest singer by the name of André le Toit, who would later become known as Koos Kombuis came across an album by Bernoldus Niemand at a flea market in Greenmarket Square. Kombuis was so inspired by the lyrics and music of this album that he recorded a demo of his own music and sent it off… Read more →

Michael Flek Wild Youth

Post Punk Depression

Before Bernoldus Niemand, before Johannes Kerkorrel and before Voëlvry there was a South African punk band called Wild Youth. Exploding out of Durban, for a few years they blazed their way through South Africa, leaving many lesser bands in their wake. Known for their incendiary performances which left even James Phillips (who would later record under the alias Bernoldus Niemand)… Read more →

What did an early Ralph Rabie setlist look like?

Skemervonkel In 1980 Ralph Rabie did one of his first live performances at a Skemervonkel event at the University of Potchefstroom. The setlist for that evening makes interesting reading because it reveals that, at that time, Rabie was still performing mainly cover versions of songs with English lyrics. The set included one original Rabie composition, which was also in English.… Read more →

Die Ander Kant

A video that was made for the song, “Die Ander Kant”, which appeared on Johannes Kerkorrel’s last album, later took on much more significance in the wake of Rabie’s suicide. In an interview, the poet, Johann de Lange, who was a close friend of Kerkorrel, described how alarmed he had been by the imagery of the video. Rabie appears in… Read more →

Liner Notes from the Pêrels voor die Swyne compilation album – by Deon Maas & Janneke Strijdonk

These are the liner notes from the Johannes Kerkorrel compilation album, “Pêrels voor die Swyne”, which was released after his death. The liner notes give a very complete overview of Johannes Kerkorrel’s life and are reproduced in full and unedited by me. It’s a big read, but very worthwhile because you will learn a lot about the life and times… Read more →