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OESFEES - A CAPE MUSICAL FIRST
Date Published: 13 Mar 2008
Seven hand-picked ensembles performing the vernacular music of the rural Cape will come together for the first ever Franschhoek Oesfees (harvest festival) at the Solms-Delta wine estate, in the historic Franschhoek valley, on Saturday 5 April.
Exploring early South African history through the Cape’s musical heritage, the Oesfees strikes a significant note in the Boland’s cultural calendar as the region’s first full-scale harvest festival.
The exciting line-up of musicians is spearheaded by South African performer and playwright David Kramer, who was initially approached by Professor Mark Solms, to research the musical traditions of the region and unearth the local musical talent -- from goema through langarm and vastrap to boeremusiek.
Joining Kramer on stage is guitar maestro Hannes Coetzee, well known for his ‘optel en knyp’ picking style, which, combined with his unique teaspoon slide technique, ranks him as one of the most unusual slide guitar players in the world.
Other favourites joining Kramer and Coetzee at the festival include the eight-piece family ensemble The Elginairs, as well as Hossie Boois and Pieter van der Westhuizen.
Award winning Van der Westhuizen learnt his first notes on a ramkiekie on a farm near Vredendal and now performs his music all over the world, retelling the stories of the people from the platteland.
An interesting addition to the line-up is the amateur Delta Optel Band, all of whose members work and live on Solms-Delta farm, which introduces true home-grown flavour. 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 oom Hannes Floris and his wife Hanna, and 14-year old vocalist Lolla. “The songs we sing tell the story of life on the farm, happy and sad,” says Oom Hannes.
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, when he first started performing.
The impetus to embrace the Cape musical culture in this way was initiated by Richard Astor, who owns the farm (Lubeck) adjoining Mark Solms's farm, 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, which Solms describes as “an inclusive and authentic celebration of the harvest, and of the vernacular musical styles of the Cape winelands; a real thanksgiving.”
The second is a museum, Music Van der Caab, which is now taking shape on the third adjoining Solms-Delta farm, Deltameer. Researchers are currently working towards the establishment of this musical heritage centre by tracing the origin and development of the rich and complex melting pot that is 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. Just as Cape culture was forged by the confluence of these diverse ethnic groups, so was our music, which celebrates what really matters in life, despite all the hardships.
The Festival will take place on Saturday 5 April; from 13h00-21h00 at Solms-Delta Estate - Delta Road, off the R45 Franschhoek. The core of the audience will be the farm workers of the Franschhoek valley. Limited tickets are available for sale to the general public, through Computicket. For ticket enquiries contact 021 874 3937. Tickets cost R110.00 and that includes a traditional meal and two drinks (wine or soft drinks). Kids under 2 enter free.
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