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.
Op Reis
Coenie De Villiers Lyrics
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Deur verre lande
Soek ek opnuut my land se lug
Ek soek wolke
Op die horison
En die wind wat iewers sug
Deur die blare van ‘n bos
Al reis ek altoos verder, dis net herinnerings wat deug
Op reis
Deur verre lande
Hoor ek deur die stadsrumoer
Hoe ‘n bosduif iewers nes maak
En in ‘n doringboom kom koer
Ek ruik reen wat skielik opslaan uit ‘n stofpad deur die veld
En ek sien ‘n goue skemer
Wat die nag se koms vermeld
Want in my hart
Woon daar ‘n plaas
Met ‘n windpomp en ‘n dam
Met lusern
In ‘n skuur
Met skape wat kom lam
In die die koelte van ‘n klipmuur wat deur my drome sny
En hoe meer my voete reis
Dwing my hart my om te bly
Op reis
Deur verre lande
Is die winters dikwels wit
En ek soek
‘n Opslagsomer
En ‘n vloer
Van perskepit
In ‘n ou-ou skemer opstal waar ‘n lamp vertroostend brand
En al reis jy deur die vreemde
Vind jou kompas steeds jou land
Want in my hart
Woon daar ‘n plaas
Met ‘n windpomp en ‘n dam
Met lusern
In ‘n skuur
En met skape wat kom lam
In die die koelte van ‘n klipmuur wat deur my drome sny
En hoe meer my voete reis
Dwing my hart my om te bly
Want in my hart (Want in my hart
Woon daar ‘n plaas
Met ‘n windpomp en ‘n dam
Met lusern (Met lusern)
In ‘n skuur
En met skape wat kom lam
In die die koelte van ‘n klipmuur wat deur my drome sny
En hoe meer my voete reis
Dwing my hart my om te bly
Coenie De Villiers's song Op Reis speaks about the journey of self-discovery, and homesickness that comes with being away from one's birthplace. Through the lyrics, the singer describes his longing for the feel of home and the freedom to explore familiar surroundings. He describes the yearning for the smell of rain after a long drought and the desire to hear the sound of a dove cooing on a thorn tree. The singer reminisces about the playful days of his youth, his past work routine with the familiar sight of a windmill in the distance, and the joy of watching lambs frolic in their pens. These memories fuel his longing for the stories he has written in the land where his heart lies.
The song is a reflection of many people who have left home for one reason or another. It speaks about yearning for the familiar surroundings and smells of the place where one was born. But it also speaks of the freedom that comes with being away from home where one can reflect, roam, and discover new places. The singer is caught in between the two worlds trying to find peace and balance. The song is a reminder of the importance of having a place to call home and the memories that keep us grounded wherever we go.
Line by Line Meaning
Op reis
Travelling
Deur verre lande
Through distant lands
Soek ek opnuut my land se lug
I search again for the air of my country
Ek soek wolke
I seek clouds
Op die horison
On the horizon
En die wind wat iewers sug
And the wind that sighs somewhere
Deur die blare van ‘n bos
Through the leaves of a forest
Langs die plaasdam van my jeug
Along the farm dam of my youth
Al reis ek altoos verder, dis net herinnerings wat deu
Although I always travel further, it is only memories that are worth something
Hoor ek deur die stadsrumoer
I hear through the city noise
Hoe ‘n bosduif iewers nes maak
How a bush dove makes a nest somewhere
En in ‘n doringboom kom koer
And coos in a thorn tree
Ek ruik reen wat skielik opslaan uit ‘n stofpad deur die veld
I smell rain suddenly rising from a dirt road through the field
En ek sien ‘n goue skemer
And I see a golden dusk
Wat die nag se koms vermeld
Which announces the arrival of the night
Want in my hart
Because in my heart
Woon daar ‘n plaas
A farm lives there
Met ‘n windpomp en ‘n dam
With a windmill and a dam
Met lusern
With lucerne
In ‘n skuur
In a barn
Met skape wat kom lam
With sheep that come to lamb
In die koelte van ‘n klipmuur wat deur my drome sny
In the coolness of a rock wall that cuts through my dreams
En hoe meer my voete reis
And the more my feet travel
Dwing my hart my om te bly
My heart compels me to stay
Is die winters dikwels wit
Winters are often white
En ek soek ‘n opslagsomer
And I seek a storage summer
En ‘n vloer van perskepit
And a floor of peach pips
In ‘n ou-ou skemer opstal waar ‘n lamp vertroostend brand
In an old twilight dwelling where a comforting lamp burns
En al reis jy deur die vreemde
And even if you travel through the foreign
Vind jou kompas steeds jou land
Your compass still finds your country
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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