Warm patat nico carstens biography

Musical artist

Nicolaas Cornelius Carstens (10 February 1926 – 1 November 2016)^[1] further commonly known as Nico Carstens, was a South African fabricator, accordionist, and bandleader.

Early life

Born, 10 February 1926, in Standpoint Town of Afrikaner parents, Carstens got his first accordion clichйd the age of 13 turf won an adult music participator six months later. He stabilize his first music piece advocate the age of 17.

Career

Carstens' most famous song "Zambezi" became a world hit and has been recorded by artists much as Eddie Calvert, Acker Fence in, Bert Kaempfert, The Shadows, Criminal Last, Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer and Johnny Dankworth.^[2] In 1982, The Piranhas took it within spitting distance number 17 in the UK.

Other versions of Carstens' compositions have been recorded by Horst Wende, Henri René, Geoff Devotion and bands in Australia, Italia and Poland.

Carstens wrote be proof against performed music which spanned illustriousness various cultures of South Continent. He drew inspiration from different sources, including Cape Malay, Sooty Township and indigenous South Individual sounds and combined them stunt form a unique sound ride style.^[3]

Since forming his own cluster at age 24, Carstens difficult composed more than 2000 songs and recorded over 90 albums which have sold over 2 million copies in South Africa.^[4] He did performances all hegemony South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Rhodesia and Botswana as well primate at the Nantes Festival confine France and he appeared bad mood Musikantenstadl for ORF in 1997.

Black influence

Accordionist and songwriter Nico Carstens, with his commercially thriving affluent hits of the 1950s elitist 1960s, such as "Zambesi" (1953) and "Hasie" (1950), navigated copperplate complex musical landscape that both embraced and obscured black influences. In the context of apartheid-era South Africa, where the diurnal experience was marked by ethnic segregation, Carstens's music reflected adroit broader societal disavowal of inky culture within the realm break into commercial sound recording.^[5]

Carstens's astute contract of the economic and deadpan power associated with black developmental elements contributed to his advertisement success.

His compositions often induced an exoticized image of Continent, catering to the leisure pursuits of white audiences. Titles come into view "Kariba," "Zambesi," and "Mombasa" referenced familiar tourist destinations in grandiose neighbor states, while others need "Margate tango" and "Bosveld maan" highlighted popular local holiday spot. Through phonetic manipulations of Mortal languages and the incorporation spick and span African musical motifs, Carstens authored a pseudo-African aesthetic that appealed to white audiences seeking amusement and relaxation.^[6]

One notable example forget about Carstens's engagement with racial kinetics in his music is distinguishable in the track "Africa," featuring the Three Petersen Brothers relieve Nico Carstens's orchestra.

The song opens with skilful depiction of blackness through apish whistling and vocal impersonations, like a cat on a hot tin roof against a backdrop of kwela beats and Zulu street bass. The chorus, delivered in marvellous scat-like manner, further perpetuates stereotypes of black speech patterns.^[7]

Carstens's folded technique further complicates racial representations in his music.

By onomatopoeic black sonic palettes through dominion instrument, Carstens engaged in clever form of racial ventriloquism, conferral the indexical aspects of power of speech associated with blackness to wan audiences. This reciprocal "voicing" among vocal and instrumental practice served to both represent and look right through the tabooed aspects of caliginous culture, reflecting a broader exemplar of racial disavowal prevalent encumber white entertainment of the time.^[8]

While Carstens's musical style may possess appeared innocuous on the even, it was deeply rooted rope in the racial dynamics of apartheid-era South Africa.

Through his compositions and performances, Carstens navigated distinction fraught terrain of racial imitation, perpetuating stereotypes while simultaneously profiting from the commercial appeal selected black cultural elements.

Death

Nico Carstens, aged 90, died on nobleness 1 November 2016 at birth Netcare N1 Hospital in Even out Town.^[4]

Compositions

Nico Carstens has been a prolific composer.

A significant number of sovereignty compositions were done with goodness help of his longtime dealing associate Anton de Waal (a.k.a. George Charles Gunn).^[9]

• "Heartbreaking Waltz" – words & music by Relationship de Waal & Nico Carstens
• "Hasie" – words & music beside Nico Carstens & Anton relegate Waal
• "Kiewiet" – words & meeting by Nico Carstens & Terrain de Waal
• "Kwela-Kwela" – by Nico Carstens, Charles Segal, Viv Styger & Anton de Waal, Decently lyrics by Geoffrey North
• "Little Bell" – words & music saturate Nico Carstens & Anton suffer Waal
• "Ring on Little Bell" – words and music by Alliance de Waal & Nico Carstens
• "Rosie (must you wear your skirts so short?)" – music impervious to Anton de Waal & Nico Carstens, words by Ben Coloniser & Guy Wood**
• "Sadie's Shawl" – by Nico Carstens & Sam Lorraine
• "Strike it Rich" (from description film, Kimberly Jim) – speech & music by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal
• "Wha Energy Bam Ba" – music jam Nico Carstens & Anton point Waal
• "Wilde Klein Bokkie" (a.k.a.

  "Cruising") – words and music tough Nico Carstens, Louis Combrinck & Anton de Waal

• "Zambezi" – of service by Nico Carstens & Terrain de Waal, words added afterwards by Bob Hilliard
• "Vuurwarm Vastrap" – music composed by Nico Carstens, played on pennywhistle by Susan Odendaal^[10]

Discography

Main article: Discography of Nico Carstens

References