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Granted, he has a unique voice and when paired with the traditional songs of Anton Myburgh ("Ossewa") or the lively music of David Kramer (on his Kyk Hoe Lyk Ons Nou album), Dozi really shines. His first two cracks at guilt-free pop on this album, "Amy Is Terug In Kaapstad" and "Maria", aren't too bad either: Kunstefees party-starters if ever I’ve heard them.
Dozi's most loyal fans can and will continue to get good mileage from his friendly stage persona and easy, country-cum-boere rock sound, but the rest of us should surely be paying attention to more original Afrikaans artists. Dozi's been sailing from cover song to cover song (including a tribute to Credence Clearwater revival) for a large part of his career and the question arises: what, exactly, are we supposed to take seriously about his music?
Sure, there are artists and then there are performers, but, artistry firmly ruled out in Dozi's case, his performances of these songs conceived of by other people just isn't that great. Put his "It's A Heartache" next to that of Bonnie Tyler or Rod Stewart and there's just no reason to give it another spin.
It's perhaps unfair to single out Dozi for not producing original material: for every Robbie Wessels writing their own (hilarious) Afrikaans tunes, there are countless others content to rip off the Eurovision song contest winners year after year after bloody year. The Skouspel crowds shouldn't have to settle for posers, or even nice guys who wrap their ten favourite country songs in biltong and call it an album. Kom nou.
Dozi's most loyal fans can and will continue to get good mileage from his friendly stage persona and easy, country-cum-boere rock sound, but the rest of us should surely be paying attention to more original Afrikaans artists. Dozi's been sailing from cover song to cover song (including a tribute to Credence Clearwater revival) for a large part of his career and the question arises: what, exactly, are we supposed to take seriously about his music?
Sure, there are artists and then there are performers, but, artistry firmly ruled out in Dozi's case, his performances of these songs conceived of by other people just isn't that great. Put his "It's A Heartache" next to that of Bonnie Tyler or Rod Stewart and there's just no reason to give it another spin.
It's perhaps unfair to single out Dozi for not producing original material: for every Robbie Wessels writing their own (hilarious) Afrikaans tunes, there are countless others content to rip off the Eurovision song contest winners year after year after bloody year. The Skouspel crowds shouldn't have to settle for posers, or even nice guys who wrap their ten favourite country songs in biltong and call it an album. Kom nou.
