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Cape Town – On Sunday, 5th August some of South Africa’s top artists will take to the stage at the annual Liefde by die Dam Concert at Emmarentia Dam.
The concert named after Valiant Swart's famous hit song with the same name, strives to serve as a platform to showcase the best local music.
The line-up for this year's event includes Die Heuwels Fantasties, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Francois van Coke, Koos Kombuis, Elvis Blue, Bouwer Bosch, Koos Kombuis, Bongeziwe Mabandla and Martin Bester. The MC will be the popular Afrikaans comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout.
Bouwer is also the director of the Liefde Wen organisation, a charity that aims to make the world a better place through love.
In an interview with Channel24 Bouwer tells us more about the organisation, his experiences in the music industry what concertgoers can expect from his set and how South Africans can spread more love.
You are the director of the Liefde Wen - tell us how this organisation came about.
It started when I was a first year student studying journalism in Potch. The plan was and still is just to get the message out that we need to be more bold and controversial with our love for people. I grew up in church and wanted to do something that was not related to any religion, just something that we all have no matter our skin colour, sexual orientation, belief system, cultural background, and that is love. We are a clothing brand that uses a percentage of the sales to fund different projects in and around SA.
How do you manage your time with so many things going on, being a singer, actor and filmmaker?
I'm married to Leandie but I'm currently having an affair with Google Calender. I think the key to all of these things is planning. If you plan well there is plenty of time to work. My other secret is getting people involved that are better than you, so with the movie stuff we have a great team that helps with everything so it's not just you doing all the work, outsourcing helps a lot.
You have been in the music industry for many years now, how has it changed (if so) for you over the years?
I think what I like about the scene at the moment is that it’s all about good songs. The standard sky rocketed and what is also great is that good songs trump genres. It feels like everyone listens to good songs, no matter the genre. A decade ago rock sounds ran the airwaves and lately it’s all about good songs and not a specific genre anymore. For me personally I think I just stopped overthinking everything I write. I'm not so much affected as before by what people think of what I write and sing about. I made a decision that I want to make music and not a specific genre and that helped a lot with my creative process because I'm just writing and bringing out what I feel I want to bring out. More of myself and my intentions and less of the business side of things.
What is the most hilarious thing that has ever happened on set or on stage?
When we started out with Straatligkinders we always had random things on stage. We bought these eight battery cats that you buy at traffic lights and we would just let the cats walk on stage throughout the whole show and make these "meow" sounds. It was super random looking back at it now.
What would you rather forget, but never will?
Our first Oppikoppi (it was Straatligkinders third show) was recorded for some reason by the music channel MK and broadcasted a week later on national TV. The issue with the recording was that the snare mic was muted, the guitars were super loud and everything was just out of sync so we sounded and looked horrible. I'm not saying we were flawless, and I definitely did not sing like an angel that day, but it was a great learning curve for us.
What can fans expect from your set at Liefde by die Dam?
Fun sing along tunes, good jokes (lot's of humility) and maybe a collaboration or two.
On the theme of the Liefde by Die Dam concert - how can South Africans spread a little more love?
I think it starts with yourself. We need to unlearn first before you can re-learn things. If we can unlearn the way we are taught to look and think about each other things would go a lot better. I also think if we can start focusing on what makes as the same as SAFFAS instead of focusing on what makes us different we would see major changes as well. We are so obsessed with our differences as different cultures in SA that we forget that we all just human in the end with a lot more in common than we think.
EVENT INFORMATION FOR LIEFDE BY DIE DAM:
Date: Sunday 5 August 2016
Time: 10:00 – 18:00
Venue: Emmarentia Dam, Johannesburg
Ticket prices: Adults R165 / Kids 12 years and younger: R75 / Kids under 3: Free entry.
Special ticket offer: VIP tickets for R595 including VIP entrance, special view, free drinks and snacks.
Tickets are available at Computicket.
