One of the founders of the modern Afrikaans rock movement, Johannes Kerkorrel has released a 15-song compilation of his best songs spanning his first decade on the SA and European music scenes. This controversial singer and songwriter played his first gig at the Green Room in Cape Town in 1986. He then moved to Johannesburg and began working with an alternative group of musician and artists including Koos Kombuis (then still known as Andre Letoit). These two performed as a duo and then as a full band which became known as the seminal Gereformeede Blues Band. Under this guise, Kerkorrel and Kombuis (and James Phillips) led the way for the emerging Afrikaans music renaissance with 'Die Eerste Alternatiewe Afrikaans Rock Concert' in Johannesburg in 1988 and the subsequent meteoric and controversial 'Voelvry' tour, which showcased these new, rebellious Afrikaans musicians to the whole nation. This coincided with the release of the first GBB album, the very-banned 'Eet Kreef' and its lovely single 'Hillbrow'.

Kerkorrel then left the oppressive SA musical climate for a stay in Amsterdam where he connected with many other exiles and performed sell-out concerts in Belgium and France. 'The album 'Bloudruk' followed and Kerkorrel spent the next few years travelling to and from SA and collaborating with musicians like the Dutch star, Stef Bos and Thandi Klaaasen. This album was a hit in the Benelux countries and established Kerkorrel as a European star where he performed many concerts. In 1994 he released his third album, 'Cyanide In The Beefcake' and toured SA with his all-SA star band. He won the FNB music award in 1995 for "best rock music performance" and a documentary on him by Ken Kirsten won an Artes award as well. While living back in Cape Town he released 'Ge-Trans-For-Meer' which won more awards and produced a series of sold-out shows, highlighting the music on this album. Now a star in both SA and Europe, Johannes Kerkorrel continues to mine the rich seam of Afrikaans music that he helped to expose. The songs on this quality compilation run from his first hit, the punky 'Sit Dit Af' through other milestones like 'Hillbrow', 'BMW', 'Halala Africa', 'River Of Love', 'Onder In My Whiskey Glas', 'Al Die Berge Nog So Blou' and the closing (satirical) 'Wat 'N Vriend Het Ons In PW'. A wonderful and nostalgic album by one of South Africa's biggest and most important artists of the '90s. Essential!

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman

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