When and where were you born?
In 1951 in Worcester, the Western Cape.
When and where did you matriculate?
From Worcester Boys High in 1969.
What were you favourite subjects?
Art and maths.
Any fond memories you have of your school days?
No, my fond memories have nothing to do with school.
How did your education influence your career?
My skills with art and maths helped me secure a bursary to study textile design in England.
Did you always dream about being a musician at school?
No, the entertainment industry was not even a concept when I was at school. My career guidance teacher said I should be a civil engineer. The only reason I didn’t become one was because I didn’t fancy wearing a safari suit.
Did teachers love or hate you?
They thought I was cute in primary school. In high school, I played the guitar and not sport, so they hardly noticed me.
When did you get your first guitar?
I was 11. It was a present from my
parents.
Did you have a role model or hero in your schooldays?
Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Beatles, Bob Dylan.
Did any of your teachers help shape your career?
Sure — the art teachers at the Hugo Naude Art Centre, and Cromwell Everson, who was a music teacher but didn’t teach me music. We discussed poetry and the avant garde.
You have a lot of cross-cultural influences in your work, such as in Karoo Kitaar Blues. Did your childhood play a role in establishing your interest in other cultures?
Yes. My father worked in a furniture shop and I used to help deliver the furniture to all parts of the town, so I got to see places and meet people that other kids were mostly separated from.
What part did music play in your life as a school boy?
I was in a band. It gave me status and made me more popular than I might have been without it.
When did you get your first big break?
I created my own break by going into partnership with a record label called Mountain Records in 1980. Mountain and I recorded my first album Bakgat which was banned by the SABC. I then released Hak Hom Blokkies in 1981 and had a number one hit.
What would you say marked the turning point of your career?
Deciding to record my work despite the fact that I suspected it would not be given airtime.
What are your views on education today?
From what I can see not much has changed. The school system still appears to be appallingly old fashioned.
Your advice to learners?
Be curious. Be sceptical. Read. Take responsibility for your education. Never stop learning.
Do you think that you learned enough from school about your heritage?
We were indoctrinated. I don’t think what I experienced at school can be considered learning.
What do you think is your greatest heritage from growing up in South Africa?
Heritage can be negative as well as positive. But on the positive side I learnt that insanity can sometimes be the norm.