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Kerkorrel on brink of new show
13/11/2002 13:43 - (SA)
Cape Town - "He attended every Klein Karoo National Arts Festival - I can't believe Johannes Kerkorrel won't be in Oudtshoorn in 2003."
The words of Karen Meiring, managing director of the KKNK and member of a capella group Cut Glass, express the collective feeling of loss that spread throughout South Africa with the news last night that popular Afrikaans singer Ralph Rabie - known on stage as Johannes Kerkorrel - had committed suicide.
Rabie's body was found hanging from a tree in a wooded area 3kms outside the coastal town of Kleinmond. A canoeist allegedly noticed blood stains on a deserted car nearby before he made the discoverty and contacted police.
According to reliable sources, the singer allegedly had cut both wrists and his throat before hanging himself.
Captain William Reid said a post-mortem was to be done on Wednesday before any official statement could be made about the cause of Rabie's death. Police did not suspect foul play.
A distraught Meiring told News24 she had had meetings with Rabie at the Aardklop Arts Festival, held in September this year in Potchefstroom.
Excited about idea for new show
"He was in good spirits and excited about a project that I had planned for next year's Aardklop.
"I wanted him and rock musician Karen Zoid to work together on a show. Karen was just as excited when we discussed it.
It would have been perfect," said Meiring.
"Ralph and Karen represent two generations and, although their musical styles differ, they are so alike in terms of what they try to achieve with their music."
Meiring said that, just as Rabie could be seen as the "Father of the Alternative Afrikaans movement", so could Zoid be seen as a representative of the next generation.
"On stage, they would have been very popular, because they draw such diverse crowds. They were so excited about working together. It is a shame this won't happen; it is a tragedy for music in South Africa."
When asked if the KKNK intended paying tribute to Rabie, Meiring said such plans most certainly would be discussed in the near future.
"Ralph had been part of the KKNK since it started. I cannot imagine a festival without him."
'Just one more album'
Popular Boland rocker Valiant Swart was dumbfounded when News24 told him about Rabie's death.
"He was such a friendly guy, we always had nice chats at festivals," said the rocker, adding that he had only two regrets.
"We always talked about doing a project together, to record something. It's all too late now.
"The other regret is that Ralph - as an icon of the late eighties - started his musical career on a high, but that this gradually faded.
"If only he could have done one more album like "Eet Kreef" (the seminal Alternative Afrikaans album) to establish himself in the nineties.
"He had so much music in him, so much more to give us - but we are never going to hear it."
Close personal friend and fellow SA music icon Koos Kombuis was too distraught to discuss Rabie's death with News24.
"It's too soon to say anything," said the artist, "I'm still in denial. It is too tragic."
Kombuis was quoted on the literary site, Litnet, as saying his friend's death was "the most horrible thing that has happened to me since Kurt Cobain's death."
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South Africa
