A recent insert on the SABC-TV program 'Pasella', featured the newly married "Baard of Gordons Bay" looking relaxed and content in his new home in the Cape. The songs on his 1998 album, 'Madiba Bay', reflected this love and stability that had permeated his life ("Almal wil 'n huisie by die see hê"). It also closed off the awesome trilogy of albums that began with the "paranoia (in Parow-Noord)" of 'Niemandsland And Beyond' and moved through the wandering (wondering?) minstrel years of 'Elke Boemelaar Se Droom'.

But 'Mona Lisa' is more than just what its sweet subtitle implies. While it does gather together all the softer moments from those albums, as well as a handful of other bonus tracks, it also serves as Koos Kombuis' TRC album. The writer Andre Letoit soon realized that he could make a far bigger impact as the protest-folkie Koos Kombuis, and so he did. His music mixed wistful love songs with full-tilt rock 'n roll. His lyrics mirrored and poked fun at the chaos and angst around him but constantly betrayed his inner desire for peace and harmony. Now that he has found it, it's time to forget the pain and forgive. He vented his anger in the unplanned end-of-recording jam that emerged as 'Blameer Dit Op Apartheid', the companion release to 'Madiba Bay'. By contrast, these 17 tracks on 'Mona Lisa' are packed with simple melodies, warm humour and wonderful words and images. There's 'Lisa Se Klavier', 'Bicycle Sonder 'n Slot', 'Atlantis In Jou Lyf', 'Prayer For Port St. Johns' and 'Onder In My Whiskey Glas', all the old favourites and some unfamiliar gems.

Although he spearheaded the 'Alternatief' music revolution of the '80s with Johannes Kerkorrel, in the TV interview he spoke of his dislike for that term. He said they preferred to think that they were the first normal Afrikaners, and that if anyone should be called weird or alternative in those days, it would have to be PW Botha, and not them! He then flashes that enigmatic smile, just like the lady on the CD cover with the bottle of "Tassies" in her hand.

Stephen Segerman

(originally printed in the Cape Times/Top Of The Times March 5 1999)

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