The Chiz

Valiant Swart – Horisontaal
Rhythm Records

As a soutie growing up in South Africa, Afrikaners were not my favourite people. Not because I knew any mind you, and certainly not from any kind of political motivation. We just used to have run-ins with them all the time in the veldt near where I grew up and they always wanted to fuck us up because we were rooinekke. And generally they did, because they remembered the Boer war and hatred for us burned bright in them and we were totally clueless.

Then, oddly enough, I spent a year and a half in the old SADF, learned to speak Afrikaans properly (Speak Afrikaans or Die!) and figured out this amazingly dry sense of humour, met some amazing people and realised a few things. Ja, so there are plenty of Afrikaaners who have not got over the Boer war, and from what I have read about it, I don’t blame them. To be honest, British Imperialists are pretty damn near the top of my shit list of all time idiots as well. But then there was this breed of person that I had never encountered before: the so called Alternatiewe Afrikaaner. Voel Vry was happening, and things were changing, and I met some very interesting people and heard some amazing music.

Now, on the whole I am pretty envious of Afrikaaners. Well, Afrikaans artists at any rate. You see, being defined by a language into such a small group, gives you an immediate audience of people who are interested in what you are doing, who “stel belang” as it were. Afrikaans rock bands have always out-sold English ones hand over fist. In fact if you look at it, nearly all the top rock bands in SA have been staffed by Afrikaaners. Yes there are notable exceptions however!

Which brings us by a very round about way to Valiant Swart. Die Mystic Boer has jus released another album, “Horisontaal.” Valiant has been going for ages now, and carved himself a legendary niche in SA rock music and in Afrikaans music in particular. His brand of folk/country infused rock and roll took up where Koos Kombuis left off, and followed on where James Philips had dabbled. It was raw, honest, uncompromising and very much Afrikaans. Valiant is one of the SA artists who just talks in South African and doesn’t care how shit some people might think that sounds. Not many English rock bands in SA can say the same thing. They mostly end up sounding self consciously English or American of just plain silly. Valiant made it very cool to be a South African.

Valiant: And my bird is THIS big, I swear!

On Horisontaal, you will find 12 trade mark Valiant tracks. There is some rock, some country, and some Afrikaans folk. And plenty of tongue in cheek humour. What you won’t find is mediocre musician ship, song writing or production. I live in hope that one day and English speaking Valiant will emerge from this country, be they black, white, male, female English of Afrikaans. I wish that purely so that they might cross over into the international market and show people what it really means to be South African a in a language the world market can understand. Meanwhile, for us here in South Africa, if you have any doubt, you can buy the new album here and listen to Valiant Swart, with an open mind all you souties!
Valiant, you go dude.