BS: South African folk music

Subject: South African folk music
From: Orwill
Date: 09 Feb 00 - 09:17 PM

I have albums from Australia, England, Canada, the U.S., but none from the RSA. Do they have folk music in the British traditon there? Have folksingers from these other countries found an audience there?

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: Amos
Date: 10 Feb 00 - 12:13 AM

There are plenty of Dutch Afrikaans and English South African folksongs. A 50's era (vinyl) recording by a couple named Josef Mirais and Miranda comes to mind. Some of the songs I remember to this day --

Tantie Mimma
I'll See My Little Darlin' When the Sun Goes Down
Beneath the Berry Tree
Oh, Brandy Leave Me Alone
See Him There, the Zulu Warrior!

I have no idea, though, who would be recording songs like these these today.

A

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: The Shambles
Date: 10 Feb 00 - 02:03 AM

Do we or have we ever had Mudcatter's from South Africa?

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: GUEST,Allan S.
Date: 10 Feb 00 - 09:40 AM

There are many current singers of popular South African Folk music To name a few Laurika Rauch, Les Franken, Worsie Visser who was killed last year in an airplane crash. Cecile, sias Reinecke Randall and Koba. THere are songs such as Hak Hom BLokkies, Wenners, Dis'n Land, Transkaroo, Duitswes Wals, Kinders van die wind, Mannetjies roux Many have to do with Sports Love, country, farming Etc. NOrmal things in the life of regular people. Worsie Visser cassette has Brannewyn Lat My Stann Literaly Brandy Wine let me stand that you would recognise as Marris and Miranda's song Brandy leave me alone. The problen is that they ane sung in Afrikaans Whick make them hard for us rooi nek's to sing Try search ing for Afrikaans music or South African music

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: roopoo
Date: 10 Feb 00 - 10:12 AM

To answer your original query: We were there in the early 80s, and I bought an album of Irish traditional music by a band called Flibbertigibbet. The album's title was "Whistling Jigs to the Moon" (pub 1978). I didn't hear any live bands while we were over there, but we were involved mainly with the Morris Dancing and we tended to make our own music. I suspect this band was formed by ex-pats. Their names were David and Alison (Assie) Williams, Jo Dudding and Barrie Glenn. They also seem to have used a fiddler called David Lambert. If any of the aforementioned are known, they could perhaps answer the question about British folk music being performed in RSA. (I did sit on Durban bandstand about 8 years ago, playing my melodeon!)

mouldy

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: Amos
Date: 10 Feb 00 - 11:00 AM

I'm just a thread creep! Missed the original question. Sorry :>)

A

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: Lanfranc
Date: 21 Feb 00 - 07:27 PM

I had a South African exile friend in the 60's who had several albums of Folk Music sung in English from his homeland. A couple were by Des and Dawn Lindberg who came to London in 67 or 68, others were by Jeremy Taylor, and there was another singer whose name I forget, but who had one song about mining in Johannesburg

"Go Down, Way Down, A Mile and a half in the ground, Judy, don't you cry when you see me go Down in the tunnel where the wind don't blow Go Down, Way Down, A Mile and a half in the ground,

Johannesburg, you City of Gold Where miners toil in the earth below, Below your flowers, below your trees Where the children play marbles Down on their knees Go Down, Way Down, A Mile and a half in the ground"

Unfortunately I can remember no more

Are there any RSA Mudcatters

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: Osmium
Date: 21 Feb 00 - 07:34 PM

I'm going there in July and would like any news of current venues in Joburg or Capetown.

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: Orwill
Date: 21 Feb 00 - 08:15 PM

I was sitting around a campfire in Natal with a group of South African youths who were in training to become guides. I was thinking how much fun it would be to be singing. I asked them if anyone played the guitar. No one did. There were twenty or thirty, Africaners and English. I looked at one guy and said, "You do, don't you?" He admitted he did. He was a visitor from Brazil.

Subject: RE: BS: South African folk music
From: Abby Sale
Date: 21 Feb 00 - 08:38 PM

Great entertainers. Marais and Miranda also have a 1960 Ballantine paperback with 50 good songs & tunes. Most of their repetoire but not my favorite, their "hostile baby-rocking song" (see DigTrad), "Siembamba." Got it for $2.00 at eBay.

May I tell a multi-cultural folk anecdote bit of nonsense?

In the course of life I met this older Jewish lady in Edinburgh about 1968. She supplemented her income getting scraps of tartan cloth (equals "plaid" design in America) from the clothing makers. They cost little or nothing as they were useless for clothes. However, yarmulkes are made from small triangles stitched together. So she made tartan yarmulkes and sold them to the Jewish community in Johannesburg. Many, like other Johannesburgers were ex-Brits. A novelty that had a tiny but steady market. Knowing that the various tartans are special to specific clans & that two (or three) were "allowed" to be worn by strangers ("Hunting Stewart" sticks in my head as one) I asked if she were using these "open" tartans or just any.

Amazed at the question she just said she buys scrap - she sews - she sends - they buy. "What does a Yiddele know from clans?"