Bok van Blerk
Bok van Blerk , b. Louis Pepler (born March 30, 1978 in Boschkop ) is a South African singer who gained fame primarily for his song "De la Rey".
Bok van Blerk grew up in the northern suburbs of Pretoria , where he also attended high school. After graduating from high school, he studied civil engineering and spent a few years abroad. At the same time he started his career as a musician.
In March 2006 he released his first album and initially called it Jy praat nog steeds my taal (You still speak my language). In October of the same year the album was released again, this time under the title of the most famous song, De la Rey . The song honors the general of the same name from the Boer War , Koos de la Rey . The text by Sean Else and Johan Vorster also commemorates the Boer women and children who perished in British concentration camps . The song quickly became a hit among the Afrikaans speaking youth. The album sold so well that it went platinum . The video clip for the song De la Rey was named the best music video of the year by South African channel MK89 in February 2007.
However, De la Rey also gave rise to controversy. The South African Ministry of Arts and Culture expressed concern that far-right whites could misuse it as a "battle song" that was used to "call to arms." At concerts, the Transvaal flag was sometimes shown to the sound of the song . However, Bok van Blerk distanced himself from right-wing groups like the Boeremag . Critics defended him against accusations of racism by pointing out that his first album also contained a song dedicated to the black South African rugby player Bryan Habana .
In other songs written after De la Rey , Bok van Blerk also occasionally took up historical themes. The title song of his CD Ons vir Jou Suid-Afrika (We for you, South Africa) mentions the Boer pioneers of the Voortrekker . The song Afrikanerhart (from the CD of the same name) addresses the battle of Magersfontein won by the Boers . Another song called Die Kaplyn ( Die Grenzlinie - refers to the then unsecured border strip to Angola) deals with the deployment of the South African Defense Force in the Angolan civil war .
Albums
- De La Rey (Jy praat nog steeds my taal) (2006, Mozi)
- Ons Vir Jou Suid-Afrika (2008, Mozi)
- African hard (2009)
- My Kreet (2010)
- Steek The Vure Aan (2013)
- Sing Afrikaner Sing (2015)
- Van De La Rey Tot Nou (2016)
- Hoor Ons! (2019)
Filmography
actor
- 2011: Platteland
- 2013: As Jy Sing
- 2014: Vrou soek boer
- 2014: Leading Lady
- 2015: Somer Son
- 2016: Modder en bloed
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bok Van Blerk and his new Boer Anthem De la Rey ( Memento of the original from May 11, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. The Runagates Club, February 27, 2007
- ↑ All die Wenners ( Memento of the original from December 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , the prices of the MK89
- ↑ Ministry of Arts & Culture on Bok Van Blerks's Supposed Afrikaans “Struggle Song” ( Memento of the original from April 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. www.dac.gov.za, February 6, 2007
- ↑ Hanlie Retief Gesels met Bok van Blerk ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Report , January 27, 2007
- ↑ Bok van Blerk en die bagasie van veertig jaar ( Memento of the original from April 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. www.litnet.co.za, November 28, 2006
Web links
- Bok van Blerk (Afrikaans)
- De la Rey on YouTube
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Blerk, Bok van |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Louis Pepler |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | South African singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 30, 1978 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Boschkop |