Saturday, September 02, 2006

 

Robbie Wessels Leeuloop


Coming from a mixed cultural background with historical ties to Germany in the 1600's, the French add-in's in the 1700's, more Germans arriving in the late 1800's, and my father arriving here in 1969 from the Netherlands, of course there is some Afrikaaner blood coursing through my veins.

I like to refer to myself as a 'half-bloedje' - half of me is Dutch and the other half filled with other halves. But I have never seen myself as an Afrikaaner, and even at boarding school in Franschhoek I was one of the Soutie's (referring to the amount of salt that collects on certain appendages that hang in the ocean if one has one foot in England and the other foot in South Africa - unlike a true Afrikaaner ancestor of mine, President Jan Brand 1823 -1888 pictured right).

So in our musical focus at Peak, it has only been the last couple of years that we have started giving attention to one of the most powerful musical forces in South Africa - Afrikaans language music - in all its genre's.

It still shocks many people at its popularity; such as at the 2004 SAMA's when comedian David Kau was to announce the Best Selling artist of the year, and on opening the envelope and calling out Steve Hofmeyr's name the audience bursts into hysterical laughter! But it was so. He had beaten all the top Kwaito, Rock & Pop acts to the top spot by selling way more CD's than anyone else. And we sat up and took notice!

Robbie Wessels is an artist who has taken the country by storm, and Peak Performances secured 3 gigs with him, before we had a dispute with his management about what fee's we could charge for our services - we have since decided to part way's, and focus our attention on other artists.

So a little bit of advice to the clients out there hoping to party away to the likes of Dozi, Kurt Darren, Nicholis Louw, and all the other wonderful artists on our database - plan well in advance!

Here Robbie is featured in the Leeuloop Vodacom ad.



(UPDATE 06/10/04: It seems that Vodacom has bowed to pressure from some rather more conservative members of the South African public by pulling the Leeuloop ad from television, as there were a number of complaints. Some even went so far as to say that it is 'embarrassing to watch', and that it makes Afrikaaners seem 'common' - I find it very sad!
UPDATE 06/11/23 Robbie seems to be cashing in on his Leeuloop fame - he has a tour of lots of dorpies in the Western Cape planned - read more)

Labels: , , , , , , , ,


Comments:
How catchy can a song get! But please explain the symbolism and the connection to Vodacom. I have racked every ounce of my creative side and fail to get it. Or is it just a piece of nonsense with no meaning at all and should be enjoyed for what it is?
 
Wow, the girl at the end...
Someone find her name!
 
Goed gewees, ons het maar net die mooiste girls in die wereld. Vodacom het al weer 'n wenner ad.

Die liedjie is kreatief en erg Suid Afrikaans.

Springbok van uit die 'outback' van Australia.
 
Ek woon nou al 'n paar jaar in Engeland, waar ek telkens nie eers kan agterkom wat hulle adverteer nie - never mind nog enige 'symbolism and connection' met die produk nie. Bakgat leidjie. Arikaans leef.
 
VODACOM was brilliant. Thousands of South Africans are downloading this song as true tone ringtones, whether they subscribe to Vodacom, Cell-C, MTN or Virgin. Now, whenever a cellphone rings, the association with Vodacom is immediate, albeit subliminal...Brilliant.
Jacques van Wyk - South Africa
 
I can't understand how there can possibly be a connection to Vodacom. Leeuloop is "lion walk". The song is referring to a ridiculous move performed by drunken men in which they remove their pants, walk on all fours with their balls tucked between their legs, to imitate a lion (you'll notice this particular trait on the lion in the video when in walks onscreen). This is probably why peopl complained and had the ad pulled.
 
Lizanne en Alida dink dit is die coolste song wat ons nog gehoor het jy rock Robbie.Ons het een vriend(Hanrich Meyer)hy is so crazy oor die song hy dans dit elke dag omtrent in die klas waneer die juffrou of meneer nie daar is.Robbie moet nog baie cool videos maak want dit rock.
 
Ek(Kerneels)dink persoonlik dit is so cool ek het hierdie balkies wat my vriende dra wat op staan "Ek Laaik Leeuloop" wat my meisie(a)vir my gegee het.
 
This has to be one of the "South African Genre" ad in a while ~GO VODACOM
 
Hi julle, ek het die artikel gelees van Mr Cilliers op Parys
en dis 'n ou wat saam met sy pelle
en vrou 'n doppie in die paar geniet, die is onskuldige stoute toppie met 'n sin vir humor. Dis afrikaans pret, dis nie sy skuld
die leeuloop het bekend geword nie soos ek dit verstaan doen hy dit al jare en die pelle lag daarvoor. wat skade doen 'n bietjie stoute lag? diep binne is dit eintlik histeries.
 
Laat die LEEU loop!!! VIVA Robbie Wessels! Jammer vir die wat dit nie kan hanteer nie - julle is ongelukkig Afrikaners, die liedjie is in jou taal, so vernietig die taal en die song is weg! O nee sal hul murmereer los tog die taal. Catch 22 sorry!
 
"Leeuloop" should be the theme song to the next 2010 soccer world cup. I mean,what more can one want from a song, it has spirit, it has rhythm, its corny and its truely South African. The video speaks for itself, bush veld, king of the jungle, wild life, gorgeous birds and a dingcum dude in it. Braaivleis, rugby and sunny skies...! Jokes aside, being able to listen Robbies music here in Germany, tags strings that truely makes one long back to SA and the bushveld. I believe the add is a true blue and nothing Vodacom needs to be ashamed of. In fact, we look forward to PART TWO of the Leeuloop!!!!! Best greetings out of Munich (home of beer) Bindczus family.
 
Howzit
As ek hierrie song hoor dan word ek net lus om terug te gaan na waar die mense soos ek is. Laat die leeu loop en die byle huil.

Riaan
Kanada
 
I love the moves.
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 
I think the song is an unintelligent as the artist, and anyone who likes either risks betraying their lack of intellect too. I think it's embarrassing that a hit song in this country features a drunken gentialia-tucking fool pretending to walk around like a lion. What a wonderful South African export.
 
Hello almal, ek het so gelag toe ek hierdie lietjie hoor. Ek is mal daaroor. Ek bly nou al vir drie jaar in Amerika en is vreeslik homesick, maar Leeuloop het my op gecheer.
 
I have been living in the US for the last three months or so and happened to come across the "leeu loop" vodacom video while browsing.After reading some of the comments posted I must say that some people need to GET A LIFE!!, the leeu loop video is EXCELLENT and shows that South Africans have far less hangup's in life than most cultures, to Robbie, YOU GO BOY!!!
 
There's only one word for this song.......BRILLIENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!The song is very catchy.ROBBIE MAKE SOUTH AFRICA PROUD AND KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!leeuloop rocks YEAH!!!!
from Kelsey
 
I live in England but I will always remember''leeuloop''.
Robbie rocks!!!!!!!!!!
from Kelsey
 
i just wana say the people that dont like this song... SHAME atleast us south africans have a great sense of humour and cant say the same about any other country, especially england.

GO ROBBIE jy is grat vriend
 
Afrikaans Rock.........

eerstens die song rock - salute to Robbie "Poena is Koning!!"

almal wat 'n pyn het met die song hou op met bler en vang 'n poep wind van die leeeeuuuuuloop!!!!!!!!

Viva afrikaans...viva!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The Problem with South Africans(afrikaners) are that half of them have no sense of humour and the few that have are ashamed of being afrikaans....

Poena has with his movie visualised the reality of the best nation of earth.....

And we are so selfish to not regognise that we have an artist who can sing and make us laugh without using other people's silly reactions like that idiot Schuster... Good for you Poena

Keep it up
 
Robbie jou doring!!! Ek is eindelik engels sprekend, maar geniet die leeuloop.al julle vaak visse met jul neuse in die lug of koppe in die grond !! Kry n lewe !! word wakker ! Wat is fout met julle. Ek is nou in Australia en is trots op Robbie. Robbie china you go boy !! They are either jealous or just thick!! And this from a soutie Think about it.
George from the Bluff
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?