It was Du Plessis who suggested that from the seed of one song could spring an entire album, and Deon Maas of Gallo Music was brought in to put the project into motion. Afrikaans musicians around the country were asked to submit demo songs incorporating Breytenbach's lyrics. A highlight for me comes from the one band that did not actually use Breytenbach's lyrics. Cape rapsters Brasse Vannie Kaap had never heard of the poet when the project was offered to them. They spent time with Prof Ampie Coetzee, Breytenbach's curator, who discussed the poet, his works and extraordinary life story with them.
Rap is the poetry of the new century, and the connection is made, loud and strong.
I'd buy the album just for that song. Having said that, there are some other fantastic moments on the album. Paul Riekert, a huge fan of Breytenbach, puts together a dark and dominant Sin Vir Waardes Hol Mannekyne. Goosen's early Om te Breyten is a delicate piece that aches, and Piet Botha's Verslag is redolent with a deep understanding of Afrikaans culture. This album delivers a powerful message from Afrikaans culture, probing the past and offering a gift to the future.