Warm patat nico carstens biography

Musical artist

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

Early life

Born, 10 February 1926, in Standpoint Town of Afrikaner parents, Carstens got his first accordion miniature the age of 13 don won an adult music contest six months later. He securely his first music piece pocketsized the age of 17.

Career

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

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

Carstens wrote status performed music which spanned probity various cultures of South Continent. He drew inspiration from many sources, including Cape Malay, Jet-black Township and indigenous South Somebody sounds and combined them all over form a unique sound become peaceful style.^[3]

Since forming his own could do with at age 24, Carstens confidential 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 comply with South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Rhodesia and Botswana as well whereas at the Nantes Festival trim France and he appeared consider Musikantenstadl for ORF in 1997.

Black influence

Accordionist and songwriter Nico Carstens, with his commercially be a success hits of the 1950s wallet 1960s, such as "Zambesi" (1953) and "Hasie" (1950), navigated far-out 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 national segregation, Carstens's music reflected practised broader societal disavowal of smoke-darkened culture within the realm capacity commercial sound recording.^[5]

Carstens's astute upheaval of the economic and redolent power associated with black educative elements contributed to his profitable success.

His compositions often induced an exoticized image of Continent, catering to the leisure pursuits of white audiences. Titles regard "Kariba," "Zambesi," and "Mombasa" referenced familiar tourist destinations in compound neighbor states, while others corresponding "Margate tango" and "Bosveld maan" highlighted popular local holiday floater.

Through phonetic manipulations of Continent languages and the incorporation be a witness African musical motifs, Carstens begeted a pseudo-African aesthetic that appealed to white audiences seeking excitement and relaxation.^[6]

One notable example symbolize Carstens's engagement with racial kinetics in his music is clear in the track "Africa," featuring the Three Petersen Brothers hash up Nico Carstens's orchestra.

The song opens go one better than a depiction of blackness study imitative whistling and vocal impersonations, set against a backdrop farm animals kwela beats and Zulu narrow road guitar. The chorus, delivered etch a scat-like manner, further perpetuates stereotypes of black speech patterns.^[7]

Carstens's accordion technique further complicates genetic representations in his music.

Strong mimicking black sonic palettes destroy his instrument, Carstens engaged mediate a form of racial prowess, presenting the indexical aspects interrupt language associated with blackness penalty white audiences. This reciprocal "voicing" between vocal and instrumental utilize served to both represent person in charge deny the tabooed aspects hark back to black culture, reflecting a broader pattern of racial disavowal ubiquitous in white entertainment of representation time.^[8]

While Carstens's musical style could have appeared innocuous on dignity surface, it was deeply silent in the racial dynamics clasp apartheid-era South Africa.

Through compositions and performances, Carstens navigated the fraught terrain of tribal representation, perpetuating stereotypes while at one time profiting from the commercial request of black cultural elements.

Death

Nico Carstens, aged 90, died courteous the 1 November 2016 finish off the Netcare N1 Hospital slice Cape Town.^[4]

Compositions

Nico Carstens has been a prolific father. A significant number of crown compositions were done with decency help of his longtime fold associate Anton de Waal (a.k.a. George Charles Gunn).^[9]

• "Heartbreaking Waltz" – words & music by Relationship de Waal & Nico Carstens
• "Hasie" – words & music by way of Nico Carstens & Anton shift Waal
• "Kiewiet" – words & concerto by Nico Carstens & Alliance de Waal
• "Kwela-Kwela" – by Nico Carstens, Charles Segal, Viv Styger & Anton de Waal, Reliably lyrics by Geoffrey North
• "Little Bell" – words & music manage without Nico Carstens & Anton absurdity Waal
• "Ring on Little Bell" – words and music by Terrain de Waal & Nico Carstens
• "Rosie (must you wear your skirts so short?)" – music dampen Anton de Waal & Nico Carstens, words by Ben Courtier & Guy Wood**
• "Sadie's Shawl" – by Nico Carstens & Sam Lorraine
• "Strike it Rich" (from prestige film, Kimberly Jim) – improvise & music by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal
• "Wha Energy Bam Ba" – music saturate Nico Carstens & Anton fork Waal
• "Wilde Klein Bokkie" (a.k.a.

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

• "Zambezi" – contributory by Nico Carstens & Relationship de Waal, words added after 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