Mar 7, 2009

KALAHARI SURFERS: The spirit of resistance

"OWN AFFAIRS"
(1st LP, Gross National Products, 1984)


"LIVING IN THE HEART OF THE BEAST"
(2nd LP, Recommended Rec, 1985)


"SLEEP ARMED"
(3rd LP, Recommended Rec, 1987)


"BIGGER THAN JESUS"
(4th LP, ReR Megacorp, 1989)


Avant, strongly political Southafrican project activated in 80`s by WARRICK SONY, HAMISH DAVIDSON and various other musicians, radically opposed the racist regime, rejected by local disc companies and finally released by Chris Cutler`s Recommended Rec. Their first four - still sounding totally great - LPs are outstanding documents of "life and resistance" in South Africa during the hard apartheid days.

Other works: Gross National Product (cass, 1981), Beat About The Bush (EP, 1982), Akasic Record (cd, 2001), a.o.... Still active around Warrick Sony.

Selections from Kalahari Surfers first 4 LPs you can get here:

Kalahari Surfers (12 tracks, approx time 48min)

01. Free State Fence (Own Affairs)
02. Prayer For Civilization(Own Affairs)
03. Hippo In Town (Own Affairs)
04. Europeans (Living in the heart...)
05. 1999 (Living in the heart...)
06. Township Beat (Living in the heart...)
07. Healthy Way Of Life (Sleep Armed)
08. Golden Rendezvous (Sleep Armed)
09. Mafikeng Road (Sleep Armed)
10. Gutted With The Glory (Bigger Than Jesus)
11.Gold Reef City (Bigger Than Jesus)
12. Reconnaissance (Bigger Than Jesus)

compiled by La Folie Du Jour


"Being a white English South African means being schizophrenic. It means not having a firm foot in any culture, but also it means being priviledged to be exposed to many wildly diverse aspects of social life." (from KALAHARI SURFERS site)

7 comments:

Godard said...

I remember buying 'Own Affairs' from Recommended when they first got hold of it. Not knowing what to expect other than Chris Cutler's description. On first hearing it grabbed you by the throat, raw, ugly and beautiful all rolled into one. Incredible album and so so brave in its time.Many thanks for the compilation
M

Anonymous said...

thx for sharing this compilation, paramo - and for the detailed information, as well!! heared a few tracks on old recommended-samplers, and even though the instrumentation seems sometimes a bit dated (80s synthesizer-drums, etc.), their music is forceful and moving - political like negativland, but less fluxus-arty and "funny".

ha - godard here again ;)

Sotiris said...

Το SLEEP ARMED το είχα βρει το '92 στο -τότε- Σόλωνος κ Μασσαλίας. Ψάχνοντας και για κάποια άλλα , που είχα γραμμένα στο μυαλό μου, και θέλοντας να επαληθεύσω το ποσό των χρημάτων στην τσέπη μου σαν επαρχιώτης βινυλιοφάγος που ήμουν (είμαι δηλ), το ακούμπησα (μαζί με άλλα που είχα βρει) πάνω σε μια στίβα δίσκων σε μιαν άκρη. Έκτοτε δεν το ξαναείδα.. Αναμνήσεις φίλοι μου, αναμνήσεις...
Νάστε καλά να μου ξυπνάτε και όσες έχω ξεχάσει κι εγώ...

Warrick Sony said...

hi - nice to see your blog piece on my work here. Some Surfers links you may enjoy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalahari_Surfers

http://wrexony.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/kalaharisurfers

http://kaganof.com/kagablog/category/contributors/warrick-sony-kalahari-surfer/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopics/sets/72157621425459423/

paramo said...

hi, Warrick
really glad to have your news and being in contact with you.
We 'll be linked to your blog.

jan larka dot nl said...

Thank you , i really appreciate this. You have the most exquizzed subjects on your pages. best, jan

paramo said...

thanks jan, take care!