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106 changing. We were lucky. We came in at the right time. 9 Abstract Truth's first album, Totum received a glowing review, and it was congratulated for lifting 'South African pop from the syrupy blare of bubblegum music to new heights of progressive pop' .10 What is interesting is that neither The Third Eye, nor Abstract Truth made an attempt to comment specifically on the South African political situation through their lyrics. Instead, their music deals with broader human rights issues which apply to all nations in general. If one looks deeper, however, it is possible to find an ideological battle against apartheid being declared through the musical vocabulary employed. Abstract Truth's album, Totum Totum was recorded in 1970 and was named after the club in which Abstract Truth first played. The album only contains one original song ( 'Total Totum Acid Raga'), the rest being creatively interpreted cover versions of songs which were popular for their acoustic, folksy properties (e. g. 'Scarborough Fair', and Dylan' s 'Oxford Town'). As discussed above, this trend towards acoustic rock reached South Africa in the early 1970s; it was largely influenced by the growing popularity of acoustic-medium rock bands and duos like Simon and Garfunkel. Another influence very prominent on Totum is that of jazz and blues, and the performance of songs such as ' Coming Home' (by Tucker) and 'Take 5' (popularised by Dave Brubeck) are very much jazz inspired. The perception that the use of Bongo drums evokes an African influence may be stereotypical, but Abstract Truth employed the formula on the album in an effort to realise what they considered a cross-cultural sound. On their original number they also experiment with Indian scales and sounds through the introduction of the sitar into the texture. Thus, Abstract Truth adopted a 9 Article by C. Coleman Trend, 1970, exact date unknown. 10 Trend review, 1970, exact date unknown.
107 multi-cultural approach to music making, an approach very foreign to the segregated South African audiences of the time. The large Indian population in Natal, with their own distinctive classical music genre was undoubtedly an inspiration for their adoption of the sitar. It could also be proposed that the introduction of the sitar was inspired by The Beatles whose later albums explored sounds outside the western rock paradigm, including that of the sitar. As has been mentioned, a progressive band in the late 1960s and 1970s performed music primarily for listening, and for communicating a message, rather than for dancing. Totum is very much a listening (as opposed to dancing) album in that although cover versions comprise the majority of the album, they are mostly folk-rock ballads which are experimentally performed. The large amount of instrumental music on the album also encourages careful listening. Abstract Truth recreate songs, they place their own stamp on them, and in so doing they make the songs their own. An example is a performance of Gershwin, du Bose and Heyward's 'Summertime', in which the flute is featured. Although the famous melody line is clearly articulated in the beginning, the band soon move into a rendition of the piece, in which the bongo drums create a quasi-Afro-Latin-American feel. 'Total Totum Acid Raga' (excerpt on cassette, Ex. 15), the only original piece on the album, is greatly influenced by the sounds of Indian classical music. 'Acid Raga' is a purely instrumental piece featuring Henson on the sitar in a long exploratory improvisation, with Pavid sustaining momentum on bongo drums throughout. Interesting interplay between flute and sitar is another feature of the piece which resembles a combination of Indian, rock and jazz ideas. The allusion to 'acid' in the title is also indicative of the trend towards producing music under the influence of drugs, a trend popularised by the renowned Woodstock event in 1969. The multiculturalism portrayed by Abstract Truth is important
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Lindy van der Meulen FROM ROCK 'N '
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ABSTRACT This thesis introduces the
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INTRODUCTION Reasons for Research T
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Thus, my twenty year period spans a
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Theoretical Perspectives Broad Theo
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13 rock musicians. Although I never
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18 a culture not different from my
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Chapter 5 20 Chapter Five addresses
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22 The line-up of the band went thr
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24 Africa. Although South Africa (o
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28 venues opened up in Durban which
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31 'sessions', and therefore were i
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33 bills. The separation of populat
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36 a 'golden decade' of opportuniti
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38 would give to South African pop
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49 have caused Durban rock bands to
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52 During this period, the scope fo
Page 64: 43 57 If you make a jigsaw puzzle,
Page 69: 62 members. This did not seem to af
Page 78: 71 Durban Rag concert in early 1984
Page 82: 75 Usuals played mainly reggae and
Page 85 and 86: 78 The streetrockers played a comme
Page 87: 80 greatest gift to song - the orga
Page 90 and 91: Figure 3. 83 The Mods From left to
Page 92: Figure 5. 85 Young Fan in a Paper F
Page 95: Figure 8 (please turn over). 88 Cro
Page 98 and 99: Figure 10. 90 Wild Youth and Fans i
Page 101 and 102: Figure 13. 93 Powerage From left to
Page 103: 95 CHAPTER 3 ROCK MUSIC IN DURBAN I
Page 107 and 108: 99 government and big business were
Page 109 and 110: 101 Britain, Durban youngsters stro
Page 118: 110 Nothing really changed I'm glad
Page 123: 11 5 The Workers' resistance moveme
Page 127 and 128: 11 9 a final attempt to regain cont
Page 129: 121 Another song entitled 'System'
Page 133 and 134: 125 use of a maskanda-like guitar r
Page 138 and 139: 130 CHAPTER 4 WOMEN AND ROCK IN DUR
Page 140 and 141: 132 relationship of women to the ge
Page 142: 134 in the workplace [or band] .dO
Page 145: 137 family and band life. In practi
Page 153 and 154: 145 music and bitterly resented the
Page 156 and 157: 148 participate more actively in ro
Page 159 and 160: ..' 151 played by men (bass, electr
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Conclusion 153 This chapter has exp
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and when 156 less formally organize
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159 South Africa). Durban record co
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161 of Warner Brothers) and EMI. Th
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163 Independent Record Companies an
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165 local rock was inferior. Accord
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170 strike one as particularly ente
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CONCLUSION 173 CHAPTER 6 This thesi
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2 Cullen, J. 'Bruce Springstein's A
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4 Martin, D. (tiansl V. Morrison),
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Newspapers and Magazines The Daily
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8 ________• 'Love You A Little Mo
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Interviews 11 Baney, Brian, A Stiff
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13 11. Leopard, 'Underestimator', f
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