Jack Parow

Referred to as “Bob Dylan of the northern suburbs”, “pirate of the caravan park” and “an Afrikaans Eminem“, Zander Tyler is more popularly known for his on-stage persona as Jack Parow – one of South Africa’s most prominent popular culture icons.

As “Cooler as Ekke” has monopolized African airwaves, Afrikaans, Mothercity-made Jack Parow, has become one of South Africa’s local loves.

At the early end of the decade, musical movements that tore Afrikaans music apart from religious zeal, resulted in the Belville Rock city phenomena – and so spawned bands the likes of Fokofpolisiekar, aKing, and Van Coke Kartel. So while Afrikaans music was once ripe with religious evangelism, the noughties saw it slowly became synonymous with grunge garage-sale outfits and angsty rock ‘n roll. 

Lucky for us though, the the latest revolution is Afrikaans music seems to be an all-fun Afrikaans rap movement. Die Antwoord and Jack Parow are core examples of Afrikaans music moving away from rock tracks, toward electro back beats and theatrical rap personas.

Die Vraagstuk: Die Heuwels Fantasties feat. Jack Parow

Zander Tyler first fell under spotlight for the song, Die Vraagstuk, which he produced for another Afrikaans-admiration, Die Heuwels Fantasties. Since then Jack Parow’s sharp tongue has earned him critical acclaim: Think Afrikaans social criticism – gratefully disguised in shock-worthy colloquialisms and boundary-pushing humour. Feeding the Afrikaans youth’s need for upbeat and bass, Jack Parow’s jerk-quirky lyrics and crazy costuming set him apart from South African acts.

Cooler as Ekke by Jack Parow

Their latest success – the Cooler as Ekke music video – conveys Jack Parow’s crazy contagious stage presence.  Be sure to catch them in Cape Town live!

Fokofpolisiekar at Kirstenbosch

Think summer dresses, green lawns and sunset serenades. Cape Town tradition dictates that we are, once again, in full swing of Kirstenbosch’s Sunday Summer concerts.

An ideal way to spend a Sunday and ease out the weekend, Summer concerts at Kirstenbosch have all the party aspects of the live gig, and all the pretty aspects of a late afternoon picnic set before Cape Town’s mountainous backdrop.

After last week’s amazing performance by Zebra and Giraffe, this week Sunday presents a band that pioneered the face of 21st century Afrikaans Rock music. Fokofpolisiekar. The band disappeared off the scene a while to release the 2009 documentary Fokofpolisiekar, which follows the band’s exploits. Thanks to the dynamic Fly on the Wall productions, who match FOPK in their youthful, independent edginess, the film’s premiere was sold-out and it received rave reviews – taking Fokofpoliesiekar to even greater extents of infamy and notoriety.

While their image wreaks of low admin, their music has an infectiously high energy and the Sunday rock serenade that I’m anticipating, comes highly recommended.

For more information on booking, prices and the rest of the Sunday Summer line-up, click here.

SYNERGY LIVE

For festival-goers Christmas came early, and seven years on Synergy Live promises to be even bigger than what it was – one of Cape Town’s most memorable events.

In Franschhoek Valley – the Western Cape’s own land of milk and honey, where vineyards sag with grapes of world-famous wines and there are even more stars in the sky – Boschendal Estate’s green lawns, lush with Spring, will be the backdrop.

Synergy Live pledges a playground permutation of funfair, live acts, camping, multimedia theatrics and marketplace. Nourishment is provided in usual forms of easy and green-cleansy festival food, or the upmarket option of Boschendal’s own picnic basket luncheons, while things to do include the geodesic theatre for cineastes, carnival rides and backward bungees and, of course, the music.

Better-known live acts include Capt Stu, 7th Son, Plastics, van Coke Kartel, Hog Hoggidy Hog, New Academics, Rudimentals, Taxi Violence, Fokofpolisikar, Aking, Prime Circle, Goldfish, Zebra and Giraffe, and the Dirty Skirts. These acts will be featured on the bigger better outdoor stage, while the bar stage features unplugged and old-school acts – for those laying low between doses of delirium.

Most excitingly, for the dub generation is the electro-drome. Dedicated to top of class DJs and the heaving underground, this will be where it’s still going when the live acts shut their eyes.

With exceptional, eclectic line-ups ranging from PH fat and Killer Robot, to Craig de Sousa, Tony Finger and Shaun Duvet, Synergy Live caters to everyone’s preferred mayhem.


This weekend Friday 27^th to Sunday 29^th, Synergy Live can’t be missed. And for those of you feeling the end of month pinch, tickets range from R380 to R150 dependent on duration. It’s a steal. Check out the line-up here.