Anton Goosen - 33 sea-sides (om te rock 'n roll)

Having reached a century of original deuntjies long ago, this was the year Goosen released a trilogy of double CDs summarising his iconic oeuvre. The third, 33 sea-sides (Om te Rock ‘n Roll), concludes the fantastic compendium with a flourish (CD 1) and a bang (CD 2).

The first disc sets him up as Afrikaans’ Leonard Cohen, lyrically astute in his own way but with the same lazy authority for song, for waltzing poetry. Like Cohen, some of his recordings have been marred by the horrid synth-heavy production of the 80s, but when it’s just him and his guitar, as on “ek en jy en ons se onstwee”, love is always, always in the air.

Things loosen up a bit as we move steadily away from the old country and into the new. “Cape Town Groove”, a celebration of imminent democracy, proves that Goosen has jive in his bones and “Heita Mr President” is a loslit jol, if not the slickest ambassador of reggae to the plakkie-wearing majority of his fans.

Afrikaans Rock starts with an ‘A’ for a reason: Anton invented it. The second disc revisits his boere rock antics, climaxing without question in the fantastic “1980 Boereblues in G #1”, as crucial on any iPod today as it may have been on your 1980s Walkman.

A fitting tribute track by Gian Groen, “Swerwer”, rounds off a magnificent century of memories in what could be, what should be, a lasting essential in South African music lovers’ collections for many years to come. Thank you, Anton.