Born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Coenie was educated at University of the Free State in Bloemfontein majoring in media studies where he later on lectured in the Communications faculty. He has always viewed his musical career as his second vocation. He is also a classically trained pianist. Coenie is the anchor presenter in popular South African kykNET journal program "Kwela".
During the late 1980s, Coenie spent a few years in self-imposed exile in Cyprus. Coenie has also performed in New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Coenie signed with Mountain Records in 1983, and recorded his debut album, Skoppensboer, working with producer, Patrick Lee-Thorp and engineer, Kevin Shirley, in the same year. He subsequently recorded 4 albums for the label many of which won industry awards. In addition he contributed to label compilations of his work. Since leaving Mountain Records he has recorded a number of one off projects for different labels.
Coenie lived on the island of Cyprus during the eighties and nineties. He wrote, recorded and produced the album Amper Alleen in Cyprus and in Athens, Greece. Amper Alleen was the second SA album to be released on CD. Coenie and his family returned to South Africa after the release of Nelson Mandela and the unbanning of the ANC. He released Hartland, an album which included a vocal performance by Lesley Rae Dowling.
Druiweboer
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Amber deur die groen krioel
Kroonlys waar ‘n engel skare
Roerloos fyf en heildronk
‘n Somer sluimer hier in Donkerryp waar jaar na jaar
Die tyd my mos kom roer en sag die son laat suipel
Deur die wyn my druiwe bloed, ambrosia my soet
‘n Ewigheid wat stil in my kom lê
Rypkombers, ware wingerd lande
So lepel lê teen Simonsberg
En die ringmuur wat loop al lang as die akkerlaning
Sy wit arms vou om La Rochelle
‘n Somer sluimer hier in Donkerryp waar jaar na jaar
Die tyd my mos kom roer en sag die son laat suipel
Deur die wyn, my druiwe bloed, ambrosia my soet
Vertroosting teen die wind, dis net hier waar ek dit vind
‘n Ewigheid wat stil in my kom lê
Stil in my kom lê
Stil in my kom lê
The lyrics to Coenie De Villiers's song "Druiweboer" evoke a serene and idyllic setting, painting a picture of a vineyard in Donkerryp. The imagery of "Spikkels om tien geuwel mure" (sparkles on ten gable walls) and "Amber deur die groen krioel" (amber through the green) create a visual of sunlight filtering through the leaves and creating a beautiful play of light and shadows. The mention of a "Kroonlys waar ‘n engel skare" (candlelight where an angel choir) adds a touch of spirituality and awe within this natural setting.
The lyrics also reveal the songwriter's deep connection to this place, as he describes the passing of time and how it has touched him gently, allowing him to witness the sun's graceful movements and the ripening of the grapes. The lines "Die tyd my mos kom roer en sag die son laat suipel" (Time has come to gently turn me as it lets the sun drip) express both a sense of time's passage and a personal transformation, with the sun's rays symbolizing the flow of life and the writer's own essence intertwining with the grapes and the wine they produce.
Line by Line Meaning
Spikkels om tien geuwel mure
Glittering specks on the ancient walls
Amber deur die groen krioel
Amber gleams through the lush green
Kroonlys waar ‘n engel skare
Candlelight where an angelic throng
Roerloos fyf en heildronk
Motionless, toasting to health
‘n Somer sluimer hier in Donkerryp waar jaar na jaar
A summer dozes here in Donkerryp year after year
Die tyd my mos kom roer en sag die son laat suipel
Time gently stirs me and lets the sun trickle
Deur die wyn my druiwe bloed, ambrosia my soet
Through the wine, my grape blood, my sweet ambrosia
Vertroosting teen die wind, dis net hier waar ek dit vind
Consolation against the wind, it's only here that I find it
‘n Ewigheid wat stil in my kom lê
An eternity that lies dormant in me
Rypkombers, ware wingerd lande
Ripe vineyards, true grape-growing lands
So lepel lê teen Simonsberg
Nestled against Simonsberg
En die ringmuur wat loop al lang as die akkerlaning
And the circular wall that stretches as long as the vine rows
Sy wit arms vou om La Rochelle
With its white arms embracing La Rochelle
Stil in my kom lê
Lies still within me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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