A little Funky Friday music from Cape Town, South Africa. It's Goema Captains playing their version of a song from the Cape Town New Year's Carnival. This is as local as it gets -- music that's unique to Cape Town -- and it's lekker (which means it's exceedingly good.)
You'll want to dance. And you should.
Goema, Goema. (Trad., arranged by Mac McKenzie.)
What you're seeing and you're hearing are two slightly different things. You're hearing Mac McKenzie, the trickster rabbit of Cape Town music, on guitar, Hilton Schilder and Vincent Kolbe, on piano, Alex van Heerden,, on trumpet, Robbie Jansen, on saxophone, Kurt Diederichs, on drums, and Zolani Mahola, vocals. Vincent, Alex, and Robbie have all passed away, and they're sorely missed. Each, in his
own way, was a musical hero.
The video shows the guys having fun, in and out of the studio. But you'll also see a little bit of Kaatjie Davids, playing the banjo, and the Continentals, his carnival choir. You can see more of Kaatjie and the Continentals, here.
If you're going to be in Cape Town, in March, you'll be able to hear a lot more from Mac.
(Click on the poster to see a larger version.)
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PS It was great to see South African president Jacob Zuma acknowledge the importance of the Cape Town Carnival in his State of the Nation address, yesterday:
Great post. I particularly liked the phrase "Mac McKenzie, the trickster rabbit of Cape Town music," - did you know that Mac's Chinese Year Sign is in fact, the Rabbit?! Best wishes, Rayelle Goodman
Posted by: Rayelle Goodman | 17 February 2011 at 08:50 PM