AFTER previously exploring everything from the music of The Beatles to the songs that make our hearts beat faster around Valentine's Day, this month sees GrandWest's Roxy Revue Bar take a trip down memory lane with a selection of Afrikaans music classics.
Reaching as far back as Die Briels, while at the same time maintaining balance with more modern hit-makers such as local act Die Heuwels Fantasties, Op Gister se Voetspore(In yesterday’s footsteps) is loosely structured around four strangers who meet on a train journey across the country.
Portrayed onstage by Jade Petersen, Kallie Kotze, Momya van Staden and Rachelle Kruger, as the landscape outside their passenger coach changes, so does the soundtrack to the songs they sing together inside.
From Pretoria to Stellenbosch, the upbeat foursome rattle across the tracks past it all.
Of course, with trains and travelling at the centre of the narrative, most noticeable is the cast’s dedication to covering just about every known train-related song in the Afrikaans songbook – including Die Briels’ Trein na Pretoria, Carike Keuzenkamp’s Kimberley se Trein and Herman Holtzhauzen’s Transkaroo.
Backed by a live band made up of Ronald Siegelaar on drums, Rodney Matthew Basson on bass guitar, Frank Furniss on guitar and Winston Siljeur on keyboard, the cast bring over 30 other songs to life during the show’s two acts. The result is an evening of nostalgia as well as a trip down memory lane for those who were around when these songs first came out.
Among the “older” hits revived over the course of the evening are Anton Goosen’s Stellenbosch se Nonnatjie, Cora Marie’s Gee Haar ‘n Roos, Sonja Herholdt’s Ek Verlang Na Jou, Randall Wicomb’s Dans Met Die Rooi Rok and Danie Botha’s Sweef Soos ’n Arend.
Fans of more contemporary sounds can look forward to hearing material from the likes of Coenie de Villiers and Die Heuwels Fantasties’ Wonder Bo Wonder, Amor Vittone’s Voluit Lewe, Nadine’s Kaapse Draai, Riana Nel’s Timbuktu and Karen Zoid’s Afrikaners is Plesierig.
Van Staden and Kruger do most of the singing and together make a formidable team.
There is a genuine friendship and camaraderie that shines through between them, and as a result, their relationship on stage comes across as more relaxed and natural.
Whether tackling songs individually, or coming together in harmony, they are the stars of the show and it would be great to see them team up again in future to tackle a different musical concept and/or other genres together –- songs from famous musicals, for instance, or perhaps more intimate singer-songwriter acoustic numbers.
They are certainly more than capable of pulling off either.
Handling the more light-hearted and comedic aspects of the evening are Petersen and Kotze.
Whether battling for the attention of the women, engaging the audience in sing-along moments, or reaching for those high notes themselves, they both do a solid job in complementing Van Staden and Kruger well.
As the production’s title, attitude and songlist indicate, Op Gister se Voetspore is a specific production focused towards a particular target audience.
So, if nostalgia, specifically Afrikaans pop nostalgia, is what you're after, then consider this your ticket to ride – all the way to The Roxy Revue Bar.
l Tickets: R90. Book: Computicket, 0861 915 8000, or see www.computicket.com Like GrandWest on Facebook GrandWestCasinoAndEntertainmentWorld and follow on Twitter @GrandWestSA