Over the next fortnight, the countryside will rock to South Africa’s best musicians when cultural nomads migrate to Splashy Fen and Oppikoppi
Alex Sudheim
Though initiated as a pure celebration of folk music in 1990, the Splashy Fen festival’s popularity grew so rapidly its identity morphed yearly to reflect the changing audience profile.
With rock music firmly on the agenda since 1998, in 2000 Splashy Fen opens the floodgates of South African culture to establish itself as an energetic exponent of fusion and diversity.
While top Irish band The Hothouse Flowers headline the event, the true evidence of Splashy’s revolution lies within the astonishing depth and range of artists on offer.
In the Black Label Marquue, indigenous hip-hop legends Prophets of the City and Brasse Vannie Kaap rub shoulders with dance prodigies Q-Zoo and Ohm.
The luscious tones of Young Ba Kuba throb next to the searing punk/jazz/funk fusion of Jimmy 12″ while the gyrations of the Swamp Sound System – featuring DJs Monsoon and Fokkelnonsens – round up nights of rip-roaring rock with Sunways, Tree, Jane Doe and Pistolfish.
On the Redds Bamboo Mountain stage British soul-pop star Black (Wonderful Life) heads a line-up featuring the Valiant Swart Band; emergent kwaito kings Shana and a breathtaking plethora of home-grown and international World Music from kora-playing Senegalese star Lamine Konte to avant-garde Swiss jazz band No No Diet Bang.
In the Group 5 Acoustic Amphitheatre, the rough’n’ready folk spirit is kept alive with searing sets by the likes of Chris Letcher; cult tribal outfit THC; Umquomo we Afrika; and the usual coterie of underground legends.
An exciting new addition to Splashy Fen 2000 is the Blunt magazine development stage, which will showcase hard and heavy alternative bands from around the country.
Splashy Fen happens in Underberg in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands from April 27 to May 1. Tickets are available from Computicket at www.computicket.com