Abstract
This article discusses the representation of animals and nature in selected lyrics from the oeuvre of singer, songwriter and producer David Kramer and considers his engagement with historical and contemporary discourses about human-animal and human-nature interaction in relation to ecological awareness within a South African context. I trace the socio-political commentary voiced through his depiction of animals in the folksongs he wrote during apartheid, especially in lyrics from the album “Baboondogs” (Kramer, 1986). Kramer also employs intertextual references to traditional South African folksongs and tales in his music. Furthermore, the social and environmental significance of Kramer’s representations of nature in a selection of his postapartheid lyrics is investigated. I argue that the pedagogical value of Kramer’s cultural commentary can contribute significantly to the challenge of teaching animal studies and ecocriticism in South African context.
Highlights
In recent years, a growing consciousness about the global ecological crisis has stimulated dialogue and debate in the media and across academic disciplines, as the lively critical discussions in animal studies and ecocriticism illustrate
In the second part of the article, the social and environmental significance of Kramer’s representations of nature and animals in a selection of his postapartheid lyrics is investigated, most notably the recordings on Huistoe (Homewards; Kramer, 2004), some of which feature in the musical production Die ballade van Koos Sas (The ballad of Koos Sas; Kramer, 2001; 2008), and Hemel & aarde (Heaven & earth; Kramer, 2007)
De Villiers traces the significance of place, space and a sense of being in his examination of Die ballade van Koos Sas (Kramer, 2001), the first Afrikaans musical to be staged in the Tricycle Theatre in London in July 2009, and he notes that Kramer’s “work reconstructs a shared and heterogeneous folk tradition, in which the very topological features of the land play a constitutive role” (De Villiers, 2010:60)
Summary
A growing consciousness about the global ecological crisis has stimulated dialogue and debate in the media and across academic disciplines, as the lively critical discussions in animal studies and ecocriticism illustrate. In the second part of the article, the social and environmental significance of Kramer’s representations of nature and animals in a selection of his postapartheid lyrics is investigated, most notably the recordings on Huistoe (Homewards; Kramer, 2004), some of which feature in the musical production Die ballade van Koos Sas (The ballad of Koos Sas; Kramer, 2001; 2008), and Hemel & aarde (Heaven & earth; Kramer, 2007). Through this process I hope to reflect on the cultural and pedagogical significance of Kramer’s stories in creating ecological awareness in teaching ecocriticism in a South African context. He is primarily concerned with the rich cultural framework and the topology of the Cape, the Karoo and the Northern-Cape, as well as the influence of “coloured” heritage on South African and Afrikaans language and culture. De Villiers traces the significance of place, space and a sense of being in his examination of Die ballade van Koos Sas (Kramer, 2001), the first Afrikaans musical to be staged in the Tricycle Theatre in London in July 2009 (with electronic surtitles), and he notes that Kramer’s “work reconstructs a shared and heterogeneous folk tradition, in which the very topological features of the land play a constitutive role” (De Villiers, 2010:60)
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