Review

Neil Sandilands’ Die Groot 5 is a melting pot of cultures and sounds that begs for unity and compassion

Neil Sandilands asks questions of the universe and traces the trials and jubilations that come with living in a country as complex as South Africa in his latest EP, Die Groot 5.

The Afrikaans bard’s second release of the year breaks from the narrative-driven structure that defines its predecessor Sangoma Sandilands & Jou Pa se Posse – Maanskyn for a rawer, more direct sound filled with conflict, questions, and a call for unity.

“Kopfokmazurka,” the highlight of the EP in my opinion, is as apt a soundtrack for the dynamics of this country as you’ll probably ever find. Described by award-winning South African actress Nthati Moshesh as “a love story to South Africa” it marries traditional Zulu music with a more modern musical approach and Sandilands’ penchant for dramatic and layered word-play.

All these facets come together – joined by a beautifully evocative black and white video – to create a song filled with tension, frustration, and madness all underlined by an unconditional love that extends further than ideas of patriotism or nationalism; a love that stands strong no matter how much the ground might shift beneath it.

Outside of Sandilands’ love for South Africa and, indeed, the whole continent lie questions, existential in nature, about cloudy near-futures and imperceptible finalities. “Tastic” is a sweeping, touching ballad that comes to terms with the unstoppable, unchangeable marching of time while “Alan Watts” wonders, with a touch of cheekiness, what may be hiding behind death’s door.

Bringing together different and, sometimes, at-odds cultural influences Die Groot 5 is about a lot of things but most of all it’s about a country finding and celebrating unity in the face of stubborn adversity.

Feature pic supplied by artist