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.
Onthou
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics
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Hy onthou die koue strome en die riviere wat hom voed
In sy diepste, donker kluis rus daar skepe op koraal
Want die water se geheue het hul na jare weer kom haal
So onthou ‘n eik die winde wat selfs die hoogste takke roer
Elke spreeu wat in hom nes maak en sy kleintjies in hom voer
Hy onthou die reën wat saggies oor die berg se spits kom stoot
‘n Lyf onthou die hande wat hom vashou in die nag
Die warmte bly behoue terwyl hy weer op iemand wag
‘n Bed onthou kontoere van ‘n elmboog of voet
Wat iewers in die donker hom teen die eensaamheid behoed
Niks gaan ooit verlore nie, selfs die liefde bly behoue
In die skadus van my kamer, in my laken en sy voue
‘n Huis onthou die mense wat deur die jare in hom woon
En al skif die tyd sy mure, bly die kamers altyd skoon
In die tas van sy herinnering reis ‘n klein tinktinkie saam
Wat lank gelede nes kom maak hier teen sy vensterraam
‘n Lyf onthou die hande wat hom vashou in die nag
Die warmte bly behoue terwyl hy weer op iemand wag
‘n Bed onthou kontoere van ‘n elmboog of voet
Wat iewers in die donker hom teen die eensaamheid behoed
Niks gaan ooit verlore nie, selfs die liefde bly behoue
In die skadus van my kamer, in my laken en sy voue
‘n Lyf onthou die hande wat hom vashou in die nag
Die warmte bly behoue terwyl hy weer op iemand wag
‘n Bed onthou kontoere van ‘n elmboog of voet
Wat iewers in die donker hom teen die eensaamheid behoed
Niks gaan ooit verlore nie, selfs die liefde bly behoue
In die skadus van my kamer, in my laken en sy voue
The lyrics of "Onthou" by Coenie De Villiers are an ode to the power of memory. The song speaks of how the sea remembers the storms that have raged over it, how a tree remembers the wind that has shaken its branches, and how a house remembers the people who have lived in it over the years. The lyrics suggest that memories are not just fleeting moments but are rather deeply ingrained in the very fabric of our lives.
The song uses vivid imagery to highlight the extent to which our surroundings remember events and people. For example, the sea remembers the cold streams and rivers that feed it, and the ships that have long since sunk to the bottom. The house remembers the people who have lived in it, and even the contours of their limbs imprinted upon the bed within it. The lyrics suggest that nothing is truly lost, and that memories are an integral part of our existence, perhaps even essential to our survival.
Overall, "Onthou" by Coenie De Villiers is a beautiful reminder that the world around us is constantly speaking to us, whispering memories that we may have forgotten. The song encourages us to take the time to listen and appreciate the past because everything is connected, and the past will always be a part of our present and future.
Line by Line Meaning
Die see onthou die storms wat om die wêreld oor hom woed
The sea remembers the storms that raged all over it
Hy onthou die koue strome en die riviere wat hom voed
It remembers the cold streams and rivers that feed it
In sy diepste, donker kluis rus daar skepe op koraal
In its deep, dark vault, ships rest on coral
Want die water se geheue het hul na jare weer kom haal
For the water's memory has brought them back after years
So onthou ‘n eik die winde wat selfs die hoogste takke roer
So an oak remembers the winds that even shake its highest branches
Elke spreeu wat in hom nes maak en sy kleintjies in hom voer
Every sparrow that makes a nest in it and feeds its young within
Hy onthou die reën wat saggies oor die berg se spits kom stoot
It remembers the rain that softly washes over the mountain's peak
Wat dan worteldiep kom syfer, wat net aan die eenheid behoort
Which then seeps deeply into the roots, belonging only to the unity
‘n Lyf onthou die hande wat hom vashou in die nag
A body remembers the hands that hold it at night
Die warmte bly behoue terwyl hy weer op iemand wag
The warmth is retained while it waits for someone again
‘n Bed onthou kontoere van ‘n elmboog of voet
A bed remembers the contours of an elbow or foot
Wat iewers in die donker hom teen die eensaamheid behoed
Which somewhere in the darkness protects it against loneliness
Niks gaan ooit verlore nie, selfs die liefde bly behoue
Nothing is ever lost, even love remains preserved
In die skadus van my kamer, in my laken en sy voue
In the shadows of my room, in my sheets and their folds
‘n Huis onthou die mense wat deur die jare in hom woon
A house remembers the people who have lived in it through the years
En al skif die tyd sy mure, bly die kamers altyd skoon
And even as time wears down its walls, the rooms remain clean
In die tas van sy herinnering reis ‘n klein tinktinkie saam
In the pocket of its memory travels a small trinket along
Wat lank gelede nes kom maak hier teen sy vensterraam
That came to visit its windowsill long ago
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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