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Koos takes up crime fight...
31/01/2007 21:55 - (SA)
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| Koos Kombuis's new song, Reconciliation Day, in which he takes up the cudgels against South Africa's crime rate. (Chris Roper, 24.com) |
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Annel Malan
Cape Town - Musician Koos Kombuis takes a stand against crime with his new song, Reconciliation Day, mourning the death of his friend, Taliep Peterson.
Well-known entertainer Taliep was gunned down, execution-style, in his well-secured house in Grasmere Street, Athlone, in December 2006 in what initially was thought to have been a robbery.
To date, no one has been arrested and it is still unclear why Taliep was shot.
His death moved Koos to take a stand against crime and he is doing it the best way he knows how; with a new song, Reconciliation Day.
"I wrote the song the day after Taliep Petersen died... I took his death very badly. And I got angry all over again.
'Really, really liked the guy'
"The song is something I just have to get out of my system. I can't help it. I just have to do it," said Koos.
Talking about his friendship with Taliep, Koos told 24.com: "The few times we saw each other we were quite close. We worked together for a month on one project.
"I really, really liked the guy. I thought, 'Wow'. He was such an inspiration to me."
The song talks about Taliep's death, but also about how despondent people have become with the crime situation and how gangs and drugs are ruining the lives of South Africans.
Reconciliation Day also begs the question: is there a solution and when will it come?
The words
The lyrics read: Ons voel so mismoedig, ons is so hartseer en so droewig,
Ons is so kwaad en so moerig want ons wonder waar is die law.
Van vroeg tot laat is daar net gangs in die straat.
Wat help dit om te kla, ons is in a state of war.
"(We're gutted and gutless. Heart broken and heartless.
"But our anger's rising and we wanna know where the hell is the law.
"Everyone you meet says there are gangs in the street. Where the hell is the law)"
The song will not be available on an album any time soon; instead Koos is sharing his grief with the world using new media and the internet as his platform.
Koos invited 24.com's entertainment team to his house in Somerset West to record Reconciliation Day and the song is available for download exclusively on www.24.com.
This is the second time Koos has released a song through the internet instead of a record company.
His first internet release, Fokkol, is a song about last year's power failures, which in Koos's own words, "seem to be making a comeback this year". Fokkol had the distinction of topping the 24.com mp3 download charts for nine weeks, beating Fokofpolisiekar's previous record of six weeks.
Also working on new book
Even though it won't happen anytime soon, there are rumours that a new, professionally recorded album is in the making.
Koos also revealed that he was working on a new book, which would be a follow-up to the Secret Diary of God.
Find out more about Koos Kombuis' new book, his friendship with Steve Hofmeyr and listen to his song, Reconciliation Day on www.24.com.
- News24
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