As much as I applaud Louis for not bowing to the pressure of picking up the mantle of the mythical "next leader of the Afrikaner youth" that people seem to be baying for, I cannot help but question his so-called (and carefully cultivated) naïvete when he plays a gig in a town that was specifically created to enforce racial segregation. It just shows again that the entire De la Rey debacle is purely a money-spinner: the only reason the song was written, is to exploit the conservative Afrikaans market financially (nothing wrong with that, it's the basis of a free economy). But owning up to a purely financial motivation would alienate your market and make a dent in your profits, wouldn't it. Same as refusing to play in Orania would. Surely if you take their money, you must take some responsibility as well. I realise that the man and the song are seperate from the subjective interpretations of the market, but you cannot protest too much if said market responds Pavlovian. That just smacks of hypocrisy.
To say that you never thought a highly emotional song about Afrikaner history would be hi-jacked by the market you specifically cater to, smacks of unbelievable stupidity - something I do not believe either Louis or Sean Else being guilty of, as is evident in their finely tuned tightrope dance between placating the media and satisfying their market.
Bok.
As much as I applaud Louis for not bowing to the pressure of picking up the mantle of the mythical "next leader of the Afrikaner youth" that people seem to be baying for, I cannot help but question his so-called (and carefully cultivated) naïvete when he plays a gig in a town that was specifically created to enforce racial segregation. It just shows again that the entire De la Rey debacle is purely a money-spinner: the only reason the song was written, is to exploit the conservative Afrikaans market financially (nothing wrong with that, it's the basis of a free economy). But owning up to a purely financial motivation would alienate your market and make a dent in your profits, wouldn't it. Same as refusing to play in Orania would. Surely if you take their money, you must take some responsibility as well. I realise that the man and the song are seperate from the subjective interpretations of the market, but you cannot protest too much if said market responds Pavlovian. That just smacks of hypocrisy.
To say that you never thought a highly emotional song about Afrikaner history would be hi-jacked by the market you specifically cater to, smacks of unbelievable stupidity - something I do not believe either Louis or Sean Else being guilty of, as is evident in their finely tuned tightrope dance between placating the media and satisfying their market.