Cape music at harvest festival
2008-03-19
SEVEN hand-picked ensembles performing the vernacular music of the rural Cape will come together for the harvest festival at the Solms-Delta wine estate in Groot Drakenstein on Saturday 5 April. The exciting line-up of musicians is spearheaded by South African performer David Kramer, who was approached by Prof Mark Solms to research the musical traditions of the region and unearth the local musical talent - from ghoema through langarm and vastrap to boeremusiek. Other favourites joining Kramer at the festival include the eight-piece family ensemble The Elginairs, as well as Hossie Boois and Pieter van der Westhuizen. Van der Westhuizen learnt his first notes on a ramkiekie at Vredendal and now performs his music all over the world. Added to the line-up is the amateur Delta Optel Band, all of whose members work and live on Solms-Delta farm. From the vastrap to the riel, the Delta Optel Band plays a musical genre that has been on the farm for centuries. Members are from all generations and include elderly guitarist Hannes Floris and his wife Han- na, and 14-year- old vocalist Lolla. “The songs we sing tell the story of life on the farm, sometimes happy, other times sad.” Sharing the stage with the Delta Optel Band will be the Papier Langarm Orkes, which has been entertaining Bolanders for many years. The four Papier brothers - Frank, Albert, Neville and Tienie - are continuing the tradition started by their father, Marthinus Papier more than 70 years ago. The impetus to embrace the Cape musical culture in this way was initiated by Richard Astor, who owns the farm Lubeck adjoining Delta. Astor’s late father David, was for many years editor of the London newspaper, The Observer. As a young boy, Astor particularly enjoyed a recording of South African music brought as a present by one of the many African exiles who visited his father, which included the young Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo. Says Astor, “I am glad that my enjoyment of South African music, and especially Cape music, has helped to start something that seems likely to enable many others to share that enjoyment.” The result is two projects: the Oesfees as well as a musical heritage centre for which researchers are tracing the origin and development of Cape music. According to Solms, the Oesfees is another means to help the farm workers recover their own history. “This is music that unites the stories of the slave, European and Khoisan cultures that form the core of our unique Cape heritage. The Festival will take place from 13:00 to 21:00 at Solms Delta Estate off the R45. R110 includes a meal and two drinks. Tickets are available for sale through Computicket. For enquiries, contact 021-874-3937.
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