Winelands Festival Toasts Workers
Thursday, 28 March, 2013
Solms-Delta Estate
More than 5000 Cape music enthusiasts joined over
100 uniquely South African performers including Mango
Groove, Emo Adams and Die Heuwels Fantasties and
a host of home-grown performers at this year’s sixth annual ATKV Franschhoek Oesfees.
The annual
event, which takes place in association with the ATKV (Afrikaanse
Taal en Kultuurvereniging), took place at the Solms-Delta wine estate on
Saturday 23 March.
An event like few others on the South African cultural calendar, the
Oesfees brings together farm workers and farm owners from the valley to kuier and vastrap, celebrating their hard work and the Cape's rich cultural
heritage with traditional Boland rural music and kaapsekos. Since 2008, Solms-Delta and the ATKV have taken the
traditional harvest celebration to the next level, growing it from a small event
to a full house with big name performers.
“The
ATKV Franschhoek Oesfees is first and foremost a celebration for those who work
year round in the vineyards and cellars,” said Mark Solms of Solms-Delta. “Free
tickets are given to farm workers from all the surrounding Franschhoek
wine-farms and they are joined by many other locals and visitors. The
music leaps between generations and genres - brass bands, Afrikaans folk,
vastrap, langarm, hip hop and jazz and while some of the performers are
headliners with big credits to their names, many of the performers are amateurs
with day jobs on the Franschhoek farms.”
The ATKV Franschhoek Oesfees
is also a showcase for the Music van de Caab project run by Adriaan Brand of
Springbok Nude Girls and an
important aspect of this festival are performances by Solms-Delta's very own
home-grown bands alongside all the top talent.
The project seeks to preserve and develop the diverse musical heritage
of the rural Cape, including the fostering of local musical talent. The
Solms-Delta music acts ranged from the Klein-Handjies pre-school choir and “Kaapse Klopse” style walking
band to a top wind and percussion band, Langbroeke, with female choir ensemble,
Soetstemme. Also performing on their own turf were the Delta Valley
Entertainers, Delta Vastrap Genootskap and Lekker Lekker Delta.
Solms said he
feels it is important to show appreciation to the workers of our country. “This
acknowledgement is the spark that ignited the Oesfees six years ago, and music
the catalyst for uniting people of all backgrounds in this day of celebration.
Anyone with heart and soul cannot help but be moved by the outstanding and
authentic music, rich cultural heritage and spirit of togetherness that pervade
the Valley during the Oesfees," said Solms.
Local
Franschhoek wine farm Glenwood had even more cause to celebrate and dance at
this year’s Oesfees when one of their workers won the prestigious 2013
Franschhoek Farm Worker of the Year Award that recognises hard work and
commitment to community development initiatives. The Franschhoek Wine Valley, together with its wine members,
initiated the award in 2010, to give recognition to their
farm workers, all who have dedicated many years to this very successful wine
producing region.