The frequency is dusty guitar and dry humour as the Radio Kalahari Orkes returns to East London as a trio — with frontiersman Ian Roberts — as the last stop on their tour up the coast.
Riaan van Rensburg, Barry Steenkamp and Roberts have weathered a deluge of rain in the Free State, a snow blizzard on the Swartberg Mountains, cold and hot weather in the Western Cape, and it is all part of the adventure.
“We love Slummies and should visit more often. The trio show is more diverse with a lot more raw energy,” Steenkamp said.
They wind down at the Bay Collective in Beacon Bay on Sunday October 20.
Roberts will also be showcasing his recently published memoir, Nomad Heart: Adventures On and Off the Set. Copies can be signed after the show.
Born and raised in Fort Beaufort, Roberts attended St Andrews College before studying isiXhosa and drama at Rhodes University, where he graduated in 1979.
Now 70, his career spans both sides of the camera, making him an integral part of the South African film and television industry.
He is still recognised for his role as “Boet’ from 1980s’ Castrol oil TV adverts, grizzly detective Captain Smit in 2006 Oscar-winner Tsotsi and as Sloet Steenkamp a Boer rebel in Arende.
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He never thought music would be his next career venture.
“I never thought I would do music for money. Music for me, it has always been too special,” Roberts said.
“But I’ve discovered with time that I actually love the performance aspect of each show even in difficult situations, even in ropy smoky bars. I love it.
“We left Joburg about two weeks ago. We’ve travelled through doing book launches in conjunction with shows, I’ve never done this before, every day is new.
“At the book launches, we’ve been with different personalities asking about the book — the book has got to do with acting and the tricks that I have learnt, directing in movies but then the life about movie sets which interests those trying to be actors.”
Stories of adventure, fatherhood, smoking cigarettes, flying first class, all deeply personal and soaked in rich, South African flavour.
“I’ve had to read sections of the book out loud, I got a message last night from one of the Rhodes Uni ‘rugger buggers’, he said he read the book and loved it and he’s one of the tough okes so I’m glad a guy like him enjoyed it.
“I’ve been asked quite a few times about the ‘mad redhead Irishman’.
“There’s this persona inside me that’s this wild redhead, who fears no-one and nobody.
“At very crucial crunch times in my life, this persona has come to the fore and uses my mouth too but it’s not me and you get into a helluva lot of situations you never intended in the first place, it’s a force in my life.”
Radio Kalahari Orkes was formed nearly 17 years ago and has now been distilled into a tight-knit trio.
The premise is a radio station broadcasting stories and music from within the Kalahari Desert.
“We are quite avant-garde, off the beaten track — non-commercial. Our lyrics are challenging, they aren’t just Mickey Mouse ‘he fell in love with her and they kicked him out the back door’.
“We have become a trio on purpose. We need to travel in one car with one driver with three people who can sleep in one room if they have to.”
Expect the bass guitar, pennywhistle, rock ’n roll, rhythm and blues — all in Afrikaans, with smatterings of English, Xhosa and even some Portuguese influence.
The energy was dynamic and cutting, Roberts said.
“There have been complaints on WhatsApp where they say they are missing the girl or missing the flowery — I don’t care man, what you see is what you get, no frills.
“We tell stories of real things. The Eastern Cape has quality and people you can’t find anywhere else, allow me to say in the world.
“My Eastern Cape roots are deep. We talk in Xhosa on stage sometimes, talking about how the broadcast complaints commission is telling us to offer another.”
- Tickets are available on the Bay Collective website, and copies of the book, Nomad Heart: Adventures On and Off the Set are, available at R300 and signing will be an option.
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