Anton Goosen

Last updated

Anton Goosen
Born (1946-03-05) 5 March 1946 (age 78)
Middelburg, Eastern Cape
GenresAfrikaans Folk/Rock
Instrument(s)Guitar and voice
Website www.antongoosen.co.za

Anton Goosen (born 5 March 1946 in Middelburg, Eastern Cape) [1] is a South African musician and songwriter. He became a pivotal figure in Afrikaans music and is generally regarded as the father of Afrikaans Rock. [2] [3]

Contents

Early years

As a young boy in school, Goosen was not considered 'bright'. At the age of 9, his teachers sought to place him in a class for mentally challenged children as his behaviour became disruptive. When he was 17, a guidance counsellor suggested to Goosen that he abandon his music career.[ citation needed ]

In 1963, Goosen was expelled from boarding school after being caught in a bath playing guitar and smoking. His guitar was confiscated and its case filled with bricks. Despite this, Goosen persevered and formed his high school's first rock band that same year. [4]

Goosen attended the Teachers Training College Heidelberg, and qualified in Special Education after which he taught school for awhile, and worked as a writer and reviewer for Beeld, before becoming a full-time song writer. [5]

Career

Goosen wrote songs for other artists, most notably and prodigiously for Sonja Herholdt, but also for Carike Keuzenkamp, Laurika Rauch, Richard Clayderman, Francis Goya, and Koos Kombuis. [5] He released his own first album, Boy Van Die Suburbs, in 1979, and it sold over 80,000 copies. [5] He was noted for being the first to produce an album of his own works entirely in Afrikaans. He used irony and symbolism in his songs to protest against removals to Bantustans and to underline the injustices behind the Soweto riots. [5]

Goosen is noted for two films for which he wrote music and directed: 'n Brief vir Simone (1980) and Sing vir die Harlekyn (1980). [6] He wrote the theme music for Die Laaste Tango (2013), 'n Pawpaw vir my Darling (2016) and Siembamba (Lullaby) (2017). As early as 1980 Goosen was referred to as the father of the Afrikaans chanson. [7]

Discography

Singles

Albums

Appears On

Awards

YearAwardCategory
1979Sarie AwardBest composition for Kruidjie-Roer-My-Nie
1979Sarie AwardBest Singer of the Year [8]
1999ATKVContribution to Afrikaans music DECLINED
2001GeraasLifelong contribution to Afrikaans music, Producer award "om te breyten"
2001SAMAAlbum of the year for Om te Breyten
2003SAMABest Afrikaans album of the year for Vis innie bos
2005VonkOskar for Groen Blomme
2006VolksbladArtist of the year
2009Academy of Arts and ScienceCentenary Medal
2009SAMALifetime achievement award
2010ATKV East PretoriaSongwriting award
2011VoortrekkersMedal of Honour
2013InniebosContribution to Afrikaans music
2016Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuur (F.A.K.)Lifelong achievement
2019Krone Award

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References

  1. Welsyn, Willim (21 June 2012). "Q&A: Anton Goosen". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  2. "10 Questions For: Anton Goosen". Cape Town Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017.
  3. "Sonja Herholdt: Harlekyn". South Africa Foreign Songs: Reviews. Language Trainers. 17 December 2013. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016.
  4. du Plessis, Jacques. "Anton Goosen". Open Languages. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Anton Goosen at Royal Show". Art Smart. 29 May 2017.
  6. "Anton Goosen". IMDb. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  7. van de Merwe, Schalk Daniël (2015), The dynamics of the interaction between music and society in recorded popular Afrikaans music, 1900 – 2015 (PDF), Dissertation, Stellenbosch University, p. 166, archived (PDF) from the original on 22 August 2018
  8. Albert, Don (3 November 1979). "S. Africa's Sarie to Smith". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media. p. 76.