By Marley
I love it when music can take me on a road trip I haven’t been on yet. When the opening track starts with a harmonica, then you know it’s like snoek on the West Coast – lekker.
“Kreeftegang” is an unusual name for an Afrikaans EP but then again we are talking about an underground artist here. Hanru Niemand is from the Boland in the Western Cape. His current music perfect for the long road, short road, camping trips and festivals. It’s music that you can listen to and not mind if it gets repeated. Since 2003 this quiet soul has been singing into the hearts of many in South Africa. Some of his works have been translated to Russian and Finnish! Impressive? Yes, very.
(photo by Dee Lou)
The opening track, “Pelonomi” you have to listen carefully to the story, it’s a good one. “Gert Volk Nel” is a dedication to the poet, singer and songwriter and the song flows like a summers sunset over Beaufort West in the Karoo. The EP is a little book of wonders, a bible for the folk music lovers, the playwright of Afrikaans music. Why it took so long for “Kreeftegang” to land in our inbox, I really don’t know. But I’m glad it did because 2016 was a good year for this folk singer.
This is the type of artist I would love to see live. Either with beach sand sticking to my feet, a bonfire going and sipping on some good red wine. Or be stuck under a blanket of stars in the middle of a Karoo sheep farm, just listening to Niemand tickling his guitar strings.
(photo by Dee Lou)
“Kreeftegang” really deserves a spot on your playlist if you are a fan of Gert Volk Nel, Akkedis and Koos du Plessis. He is a bit of a shy guy when it comes to social media but once you’ve listened to his work you actually don’t want him to be commercialised. You want his voice and music all to yourself. While you plan that road trip you always wanted to take.
Get “Kreeftegang” on iTunes or Spotify
