David Kramer steals Oppikoppi spotlight
2011-08-10 11:04
by Celinda Groenewald
Johannesburg -
David Kramer entered the South African music industry long before most people at
Oppikoppi were born, but every rocker, hippie and hipster agree: Kramer's music is art.
Kramer is one of South Africa's most acclaimed and successful songwriters who will be remembered for far more than the Volkswagen kombi adverts.
He has also left a deep impression as writer and director of musicals.
The last time he performed at Oppikoppi was in 2001, but on Sunday night a crowd of 17 000 people paid homage to the legend in a special tribute show which included the likes of Michelle Shocked,
Karen Zoid,
Jack Parrow,
Francois van Coke and Laudo Liebenberg.
Other sensationsAlthough the new generation artists gave an excellent voice to Kramer's old favourites, it was the man himself that stole the show.
The festival also delivered other sensations like Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse, a pioneer of Soweto's rock and soul in the late 1960s and 1970s, who celebrated his 60th birthday on stage.
He was part of the Beaters and Harari before his solo career, and the audience was ecstatic over his hits
Burn Out and
Jive Soweto.
South Africa's leading blues guitarist Dan Patlansky delivered an incredible performance in the style of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix.
A big and pleasant surprise was the new Afrikaans rapper Jaco van der Merwe of
Bittereinder.