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.
Karoonag 2000
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
En die diereriem sy blink tot teen die skerpioen laat lê
As die tweeling en die kreef, kotteljons oor Beaufort-Wes
En die maan sy beker skink oor Graaff-Reinet
Ruik jy katbos en kambro
As dit reën in die Klein Karoo
My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand
Ruik jy katbos en kambro
As dit reën in die Klein Karoo
My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand
Hier vanaand
In die môre as dit blou word en die amber wolke roer
As die son sy eerste lig oor die bitterboela stoot
As die trein by Noupoort fluit en dit wegraak in die wind
En 'n tolbos iewers vaswaai teen die rant
Ruik jy katbos en kambro
As dit reën in die Klein Karoo
My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand
Ruik jy katbos en kambro
As dit reën in die Klein Karoo
My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand
Ruik jy katbos en kambro
As dit reën in die Klein Karoo
My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand
Ruik jy katbos en kambro
As dit reën in die Klein Karoo
My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand
Hier vanaand
The lyrics of Coenie De Villiers's song "Karoonag 2000" evoke a vivid description of the Karoo region in South Africa during different times of the day and night. The song highlights the sensory experience of being in the Karoo, specifically when it rains. The opening lines set the scene of an evening in the Karoo, as the night buttons up its jacket and the zodiac constellation lies near the Scorpio. This imagery creates a sense of nature and celestial beauty.
The lyrics then mention various locations in the Karoo, such as Beaufort-Wes and Graaff-Reinet, and describe the moon pouring its cup over Graaff-Reinet. These references to specific places add a sense of specificity and familiarity to the song, connecting it to the South African landscape. The line "Ruik jy katbos en kambro" can be translated as "Do you smell cat bush and chamomile?" This scent of the Karoo landscape during rain is described as the "hantamwind," which creates a poetic and sensory image.
As the lyrics transition to the morning, they evoke the changing colors of the sky and the movement of clouds. The bitterness of the Karoo is personified in the line "As die son sy eerste lig oor die bitterboela stoot," meaning "as the sun pushes its first light over the bitter boela." The image of a train whistling at Noupoort and disappearing into the wind adds a sense of movement and transience, further emphasizing the dynamic nature of the Karoo.
The repetition of the line "Ruik jy katbos en kambro/As dit reën in die Klein Karoo /My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand" throughout the song reinforces the connection between the scent of the Karoo during rainfall and the singer's longing or attachment to it. The use of the words "optelkind" and "hantamwind" suggests a deep affection and personal connection to the Karoo, making it feel like a nostalgic place of comfort and identity. The song immerses the listener in the sensory experience of the Karoo landscape, conveying a strong emotional connection to the region's unique beauty and atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
As die nag sy baadjie toeknoop oor die veld
When the night closes its jacket over the field
En die diereriem sy blink tot teen die skerpioen laat lê
And the zodiac shines up to the scorpion
As die tweeling en die kreef, kotteljons oor Beaufort-Wes
When the twins and the crab, jackets over Beaufort-Wes
En die maan sy beker skink oor Graaff-Reinet
And the moon pours its cup over Graaff-Reinet
Ruik jy katbos en kambro
Do you smell cat bush and camphor
As dit reën in die Klein Karoo
When it rains in the Klein Karoo
My hantamwind, my optelkind vanaand
My Hantam wind, my cherished child tonight
In die môre as dit blou word en die amber wolke roer
In the morning when it turns blue and the amber clouds stir
As die son sy eerste lig oor die bitterboela stoot
When the sun thrusts its first light over the bitterboela
As die trein by Noupoort fluit en dit wegraak in die wind
When the train whistles at Noupoort and it disappears in the wind
En 'n tolbos iewers vaswaai teen die rant
And a toll bush somewhere waves against the edge
Hier vanaand
Here tonight
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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