What do you call a river with its own soundtrack?

The Hidden Cellar is neither hidden nor buried, sitting quietly above De Akker in Stellenbosch. But it is undeniably underground in old-school terms – more austere and mature than most other venues in the busy, bleary village, and more demure, too, drowned in dark wood and the smell of stale Drosdty-Hof.  Albert Frost is unphased.  At the foot of the stairs outside he stands head-to-toe in a slick, black, silk-weave suit and a ready smile. Why not? He’s the Western Cape’s blues whizzard, after all, and he’s got a date with a river.

In very unwizardly style, however, Albert is clean-shaven and calm and takes my hand with that characteristic, understated charm farmed by front men . It’s later on that I learn that he was surprised as he shook it –I was supposed to be a boy. My mother would most probably agree with him, which is why I also answer to a four letter word.

We’re meeting to talk about RaKa unplugged and it’s my turn for a surprise. The train of talk that leads to him whipping out his iPhone and showing me a shot of his stepfather is not committed to memory, but the big grin of a warm, woolly looking mountain man with plaited pigtails hanging from his chin I will never forget.

jezbel : oh! The guy from The Blues Broers! Oulik. Albert, you’ve been playing professionally since you were a teen, ne?  And you straddle two generations quite comfortably,  so what’s your opinion on the state of the Blues in ZA?

Albert : I think it’s grown; there’s so many diverse things going on. There’s a lot of support . When I first started making music, there were only a 100 bands in the country, where now there are thousands, and The Blues Broers was the only dedicated blues act. At the moment it’s so cool.

jezebel : très cool. And it’s helping to make RaKa famous in small coastal circles with its its wild Sunday jams. That actually work. What kind of platform you feel RAKA gives ZA Blues?

Albert : I think that RaKa is a youth festival; it’s more organic than other youth festivals. It definitely exposes the Blues to a different crowd – it’s a dancey crowd. They try to be in touch; but it’s just another excuse to take drugs.

What do you think of the new Blues breed (Guns, The Red Robbins, and La.Vi et al)?

It’s nice; the people are pushing the boundaries of blues.  It’s changing the mindset of this typical idea of blues – ‘my baby gone left me’ kinda shit. The Pretty Blue Guns are great because they turn into this oozing thing. Black Cat Bones is more in your face, emotional. That’s what it’s about, carrying across the emotion. People are  experimenting with Blues.

While this is not one kind of mixing I’m generally a fan of, RaKa seems to have a good blend of goodwill and good times that makes it a perfect family festival, young as it may seem. Last year lots of hipsters and hippies had little ones attached to their hips. How do you feel about children at festivals?

I have two children, and until they are a certain age, I don’t want them at festivals. Maybe from six or seven, it’s cool.

And are all musicians children at heart?

Yes! That’s why musicians play music; they don’t work music.

They work the bar tab. What’s the worst bar tab you’ve ever run up?

R1500.

That’s not so bad.

For myself.

Oh! Shame. Will music keep us forever young, then?

If it’s music that makes you smile, yes.

Have you ever fallen in love with particular chord progression?

Naah. But I love major sevenths. It’s not really a blues thing. I like diverse stuff.

*

So do we, so we spoke to another blues guitar heavyweight, Basson Laubscher. Better known for making the whole room rock sweet, slow and low, he fronts Basson Laubscher And The Violent Free Peace as lead guitarist and occasional vocalist. We spoke to the voodoo child about his part in the party.

jezebel : What for you, as an adept blues guitarist, is the best thing about the informal, excellent Sunday jam sessions?

Basson : I think for a musician it’s vital to play with as many other musicians as possible; it’s like a free schooling. You learn new licks, dynamics, and it teaches you to work with other people and ‘improv’ is something that you can’t fake, so you learn your own voice, too.

How long has this session been going on?

Basson: We’ve been doing it since the first year

Who else would you like to come up on that stage?

Basson: I would love to jam with Dave Ferguson, Simon Orange and Vusi Mahlasela.

Well, maybe next year. This year, the RAKA line-up is level – bluesy, poppy and rocky; suitable for all ages and all stages of maturity, be it  musical, emotional or other.  Expect earth-shifting elegies from Foto Na Dans; sky-crunching croons and dragonbreath guitar from The Pretty Blue Guns; Manouche’s frilly, deli-style Franco-folk, the long-awaited solo material from Gerdus (New Holland), tales of the sublime and the spirit from Johanine , some newbies and the ever-ready Albert Frost burning up the stage with The Blues Broers (yes! the great, Gretel beard!) as summer finally admits it is high.

There are others.

There is a website.

See you by the river.

(last summer fest with fresh water – next is Afrika Burns, in the dry sands of Tankwaland, and you have to bring your own EVERYthing)

Fickle Facts

• Albert’s favourite band at the mo’ : The Black Keys  (ditto)
• Albert’s favourite festival, actually : Oppi Koppi (coz he can boast about them? he’s been to 30!)
• Albert also plays in : The Blues Broers, and couples nicely with Gilbert Grape. I mean! Gerlad Clark. (sorry. dyslexic.)
• Basson also plays : the fool
• Basson’s beat up guitar : apparently didn’t get into a fight with the wrong bouncer, but acquired the look manually in its first week of service to the fingergod, in ways that will not be disclosed to the public. But watch those fingers. Your heart will bleed and your bones will cry while your body shakes and my oh my I think I must stop these late night lyric sessions, it’s seeping out.
• Basson’s favourite day of the year : RaKa Sunday. Actually, we’re guessing. But I think he’ll possibly agree? It aint called ‘Bassondag’ for nothing,you know.

Now hurry up, weekend. I need you.

x x x

jezebel