The FAK phenomenon : popular Afrikaans music and folk songs

Afrikaans popular music of a variety of genres and sub-genres is currently flourishing. A very productive phenomenon is the reinterpretation of older songs, in particular folksongs. This article gives a short historical overview of the collection and publication of Afrikaans folk songs, followed by a brief description of various ways in which folk songs have previously been utilised. The collection of Afrikaans folk songs known as the FAK (Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations) songbook earned itself an important position in Afrikaans cultural circles, but it was also stigmatised. Since the end of the 1990s, Afrikaans popular songwriters and singers showed a renewed interest in so-called FAK songs and a number of musical arrangements and re-writings of folksong lyrics have been recorded. A number of lyrics that either contain references to folksongs or are re-writings of folksongs, are discussed. Tension between the old, well-known words of the folk songs and the new songs often develops, while the intertextual references to older songs are used to comment on current situations. The importance of popular music in minor cultures is briefly discussed.http://www.letterkunde.up.ac.za

Die FAK-fenomeen: Populêre Afrikaanse musiek en volksliedjies

The FAK phenomenon: Popular Afrikaans music and folk songs [Afrikaans] Afrikaans popular music of a variety of genres and subgenres is currently flourishing. A very productive phenomenon is the re-interpretation of older songs, in particular folk songs. This article gives a short historical overview of the collection and publication of Afrikaans folk songs, followed by a brief description of various ways in which folk songs have previously been utilised. The collection of Afrikaans folk songs known as the FAK (Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations) songbook earned itself an important position in Afrikaans cultural circles, but it was also stigmatised. Since the end of the 1990s, Afrikaans popular songwriters and singers showed a renewed interest in so-called FAK songs and a number of musical arrangements and re-writings of folk song lyrics have been recorded. A number of lyrics that either contain references to folk songs or are re-writings of folk songs, are discussed. Tension between the old, well-known words of the folk songs and the new songs often develops, while the intertextual references to older songs are used to comment on current situations. The importance of popular music in minor cultures is briefly discussed. KeyWords: Afrikaans popular music, FAK (Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations), Afrikaans folk music Die FAK-fenomeen: Populêre Afrikaanse musiek en volksliedjies Afrikaanse populêre musiek bestaande uit ‘n verskeidenheid genres en subgenres beleef tans ‘n opbloei. ‘n Uiters vrugbare verskynsel is die herinterpretasie van ouer liedere, in besonder volkliedjies. Hierdie artikel bied ‘n kort historiese oorsig van die versameling en publikasie van Afrikaanse volksliedjies, gevolg deur ‘n kort beskrywing van die verskillende wyses waarop volksliedjies voorheen gebruik was. Die FAK-sangbundel beklee ‘n belangrike plek in Afrikaanse kulturele kringe, maar dit is ook gestigmatiseerd. Sedert die einde van die 1990s het gewilde Afrikaanse liedjieskrywers en sangers ‘n hernude belangstelling in die sogenaamde FAK-liedjies en ‘n aantal musikale opnames en herskrywings is opgeneem. ‘n Aantal van die lirieke wat verwysings na volksliedjies bevat of herskrywings van volksliedjies is, word bespreek. Spanning ontstaan dikwels tussen die oue, welbekende woorde van die volksliedjies en die nuwe liedjies, terwyl die intertekstuele verwysings na ouer liedjies gebruik word om kommentaar op die huidige omstandighede te lewer. Trefwoorde: Afrikaanse populêre musiek, FAK (Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurorganisasies), Afrikaans volksmusiek. Tydskrif vir letterkunde Vol. 41(2) 2004: 21-4

“Drie Keiserportrette” en die Romeinse geskiedenis in Nuwe verse van N.P. Van Wyk Louw

The sonnet series, “Drie keiserportrette” (Three imperial portraits), from N.P. van Wyk Louw’s fifth volume of poetry, Nuwe verse (1954), illustrates both his interest in Roman history and in eras of historical transition. This article focuses on the historical facts relevant to the third century Roman emperors Aurelian, Diocletian and Galerian that Louw provided in the explanatory notes accompanying the first publication of the three sonnets and the way the historical material is adapted in the poems. It is contended that the sombre, pessimistic view of the transition to Christianity ascribed to the Roman emperors reflects a particular notion of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire that was dominant at the time of first publication. Louw also reflects on other facets of the pre-Christian or the not yet Christian in Nuwe verse, but an unambiguous “development” or transition to Christianity cannot be deduced

Die FAK-fenomeen: populêre Afrikaanse musiek en volksliedjies

Afrikaans popular music of a variety of genres and subgenres is currently flourishing. A very productive phenomenon is the re-interpretation of older songs, in particular folk songs. This article gives a short historical overview of the collection and publication of Afrikaans folk songs, followed by a brief description of various ways in which folk songs have previously been utilised. The collection of Afrikaans folk songs known as the FAK (Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations) songbook earned itself an important position in Afrikaans cultural circles, but it was also stigmatised. Since the end of the 1990s, Afrikaans popular songwriters and singers showed a renewed interest in so-called FAK songs and a number of musical arrangements and re-writings of folk song lyrics have been recorded. A number of lyrics that either contain references to folk songs or are re-writings of folk songs, are discussed. Tension between the old, well-known words of the folk songs and the new songs often develops, while the intertextual references to older songs are used to comment on current situations. The importance of popular music in minor cultures is briefly discussed