Franschhoek Oesfees

“Showers is a blessing,” said Dahlia, retainer at the Lekkerwijn guest house, when we asked about the effect of rain on proceedings at the Franschoek Oesfees on Solms-Delta farm, next door. “I’ll see you there, later.” While the event clashed with the Jo’burg Art Fair, not all artists flew north, as the Andrew Putter composition below, shows.

Andrew, Neil and Luan

In fact there was a fair amount of artistic absconding from Jozi as the Radio Kalahari Orkes, a Boere bluegrass ensemble crossed with Queen, demonstrated. Is that novelist (My Traitor’s Heart) and AIDS controversialist Rian Malan with a yellow ribbon tied around his klapmuts (below)? Or was it a late entrant for the controversial Franschhoek Wine Writers Competition which closed the day before?

The Franschhoek Oesfees is always an inspirational affair and how amazing to see that farmers from “up north” have exchanged rifles for krismiswurms in their aptly named Boeremusiek showcase band Negosiegoed. Although to suggest that Jacob Zuma’s dance moves are a Polka, is a long stretch. Perhaps the words of Jacob’s dancing ditty Lethu Mshini Wami could be updated to “please bring me my accordion.”

Granny Grietjie from Namaqualand

Gottfried and Anna-Marie Mocke (below) were up from Chamonix to check out Emo Adams, a reincarnation of Elvis out of Michael Jackson and Dahlia’s favourite. But Anna-Marie was sedentary and off the sauce, being in the family way, with their firstborn expected in October.