Music Video: Gazelle feat. Francois van Coke - Val Van Die Ryk

I like to think that I always keep my eyes - and particularly my ears - open for new bands from interesting corners of the world.  For those of you who have browsed my entries over the past few years, you will note that I have tried to collect an eclectic variety of music from the Americas, from Asia, and from Europe.  But, with a few exceptions, I have not gotten into Africa very much - at least not much from sub-Saharan Africa.  This is not from a lack of interest.  If I had to come up with an at least semi-plausible excuse, it would be because while there are large music lobbies (professional and amateur) for Latin Alternative, or Euro Dance, or K-Pop/J-Pop, there are not that many people out there saying, "You've GOT to check out this awesome Afrikaans alternative band!"

Well, you've GOT to check out this awesome Afrikaans alternative band!  Actually, Val Van Die Ryk is a melding of Afrikaans Cape Town art/pop duo Gazelle and Francois van Coke, lead singer of Cape Town's alternative rock band Van Coke Kartel.  Together, van Coke's driving rock vocals combine with Gazelle's more poppy, funky, arty sensibilities to create a song that is reminiscent of 1980s New Wave, with elements of metal, and alternative.  Top it all off with lyrics in Afrikaans, a southern African Dutch dialect, and you have something fresh, interesting, and very listenable. 

Music Video: Die Antwoord - Enter the Ninja

Some days you just stumble accidentally over new (at least new to you) music that really makes you think.  Rapper/Performance artist Watkin Jones from South Africa has always produced music that challenges the listener, and none more so than the music he produces in his latest incarnation as Ninja of the band Die Antwoord.  Their hit Enter the Ninja is a pretty representative sampling of what Die Antwoord is all about.  It is confrontational, usually offensive, often ugly.  But at its best, their music compels the listener to really consider their commentary on the modern world from a multi-linqual, multi-cultural, and multi-racial South African perspective.