Two great Afrikaans music artists emerged in the early years of the South African recording industry in the 1930s. Chris Blignaut was the country’s first vocal star who recorded and toured well into his old age, eventually becoming a lauded grandfather figure whose name is still recognised today more than fifty years after his death. David de Lange began his musical career only after Blignaut was already famous but for a few years, from the mid-1930s into the early 1940s, de Lange’s artistic and commercial impact was even greater

His records sold in astonishing numbers, in total almost certainly exceeding the one million mark (his hit rendition of ‘Suikerbossie’, alone, sold 200,000 copies.) And beyond being just a popular singer, David de Lange was also a talented songwriter, the leader of one of the era’s great dance bands and a musical innovator who pioneered and shaped the sound of Afrikaans popular music.

And yet, David de Lange is largely a forgotten figure today. His early death due to alcohol-related complications in 1946 was certainly a major contributing factor but also there is the fact that de Lange’s music - not to mention his lifestyle, which might be described as an early variation of ‘sex, drugs and rock n’ roll’ - deeply offended the conservative Nationalist cultural and political establishment of the day leading them to take steps to suppress it, most effectively by denying de Lange or his recordings airtime on the state-controlled SABC during his lifetime and after his death.

By way of correcting this historical and musical injustice, Recordiana will be reissuing the very best of David de Lange’s classic recordings - on CD, download & streaming - making them available and readily accessible once again. Unlike previous re-reissue attempts, this will be the first time that these recordings have been properly re-mastered and pitch-corrected using the latest state-of-the-art digital techniques. While the technology that was employed when these original recordings were made some eight decades ago does not always equal the sonic quality achievable today, more than enough of the music was captured to make for an energised listening experience. Moreover, because they date from before the time that technology permitted any manipulation of the recorded performance, they are in effect ‘live in studio’ time capsules. We can listen in as some of the best musical talents of the era led by David de Lange spark off each other ‘in the moment’, much as they would have played to enthusiastic crowds in a municipal hall or at a farm dance or private party, with a technique and spirit that could perhaps be recreated today but never fully replicated.

Twee legendariese Afrikaanse musiekkunstenaars het in die 1930s die eerste keer die lig gesien. Die eerste was Chris Blignaut, een van die eerste sangers wat in ons taal opnames gemaak het. Blignaut het vir dekades getoer en plate uitgereik en word vandag as ‘n vaderfiguur van Afrikaanstalige musiek beskou, ‘n groot gees, iemand wie se naam meer as vyftig jaar na sy dood nog steeds bekend is.
 
Die tweede groot ster was David de Lange, ‘n Goudstadse mynwerker met diep wortels in die Oos Kaap. De Lange se loopbaan het bietjie later begin as Blignaut s’n, maar sy impak was groter.

Sy plate het verstommend goed verkoop – altesame in die omgewing van ‘n miljoen eksemplare. (Dit sluit in meer as 200 000 eksemplare van sy grootste treffer, Suikerbossie). Hy was ‘n bobaas sanger, ‘n talentvolle liedjieskrywer, leier van een van die era se grootste dansorkeste en ‘n musikale innoveerder en pionier wat die klank van Afrikaanse populêre musiek help vorm het.
 
Maar vandag is David de Lange ‘n vergete figuur. Sy vroeë afsterwe aan alkohol-verwante oorsake in 1946 het beslis ‘n rol gespeel, maar hy was ook ‘n omstrede figuur, ‘n rebel wat volgens die reëls van ‘n vroeë weergawe van “sex, drugs and rock n’ roll” geleef het. Sy lirieke en lewenswyse het die konserwatiewe kultuur en politieke gesagsorde van die dag aanstoot gegee en stappe was geneem om sy blootstelling aan die publiek te beperk. Hy het byvoorbeeld gedurende sy lewe, en selfs na sy dood, nooit lugtyd op die staatsbeheerde SAUK gekry nie.
 
Recordiana het besluit om 'n versameling van De Lange se klassieke opnames uit te reik in die hoop dat dit hierdie historiese en musikale onreg sal regstel. Om dit meer toeganklik te maak, sal die musiek ook aanlyn beskikbaar wees.
 
In teenstelling met vorige heruitreikings, is al die liedjies op hierdie CD digitaal verwerk en toon-gekorrigeer (-aangepas?) deur gebruik te maak van die nuutste digitale toerusting. Die tegnologie wat gebruik was om die oorspronklike opnames agt dekades gelede te maak vergelyk nie met die klankgehalte wat vandag haalbaar is nie, maar daar kon egter meer as genoeg van die oorspronklike gees vasgevang word om ‘n opwindende luisterervaring te skep.
 
Al De Lange se treffers is lewendig opgeneem. Ons het veral daarna gestrewe om ‘n “soniese tydkapsule” te skep wat vir luisteraars ‘n kans bied om terug te keer na die verre verlede, om De Lange te hoor soos hy in die 1930s geklink het. Maak toe jou oë en verbeel jouself jy’s terug in die dae van Model-T Fords, paraffienlampe en manne wat oudtydse hout instrumente disnis slat om hulle gehoor aan die gang te kry. Verbeel jou jy is in ‘n danssaal of ’n plaasskuur, in die geselskap van die ware koning van vastrap!
 
Dis ‘n ervaring wat nooit vantevore beskikbaar was nie. Geniet dit en draai daai volumeknoppie vol oop!