Via Afrika

Via Afrika exploded onto a jaded and unsuspecting public in 1983. Fusing dance beats, whistles, chants, nu-wave synths, dub bass and ethnic rhythms, their eponymous debut album was an instant hit with both (white) pop and (black) African radio, a rarity in those musically segregated times. Says vocalist/bassist René Veldsman, "Via Afrika was a living force that encapsulated sex, politics, magic and imagination - a freedom of expression that was us. We didn't make Via Afrika happen. It happened to us." "We were banned on radio - something to do with the lyrics of Hey Boy. They, the broadcasting authorities, didn't understand! The music was happening and it was changing." The band folded during 1985, after having released several singles and only two albums: "Via Afrika" in 1983 and "A Scent Of Scandal" in 1984 (although the single "Vice in Bombay" did receive international airplay after it was remixed in New York). René Veldsman: vocals and bass Lukas Luislang (Crous): keyboards (died April 2002) Michele Rowe: dancer and percussionist Spider Wider (Kitty Cooper): vocals, percussion