Du
Toit has a strong, rich melodious voice and the gravitas to translate Jacques
Brel’s unique style of music perfectly. (Review by Keith Millar)
It is almost inevitable that one of the
offerings at any Arts Festival will be a production based on the life and music
of the legendry Belgium/French singer/songwriter Jacques Brel - arguably the
greatest chansonnier of the 20th century.
And, as I am a massive fan of Brel’s music,
if there is a Brel show on offer that is where you will find me.
So I, and 12 other hardy souls, braved the
cold and wet evening weather at the Hilton Arts Festival this year and made our
way to the Band Room at the College to attend Jannie du Toit’s excellent show, Bonjour Monsieur Brel.
Jannie du Toit is a veteran Afrikaans
singer-songwriter from Gauteng. He has been performing the music of Jacques
Brel since 1988 and has achieved success across the country and overseas.
In this production he does not just churn
out the “Best of Brel” but digs a little deeper into the poet/songwriter’s
repertoire and comes up with some passionately haunting songs which he
illustrates with excerpts from Brel’s poignant writings and which showcase
Brel’s unique look on life.
Du Toit has a strong, rich melodious voice
and the gravitas to translate Jacques Brel’s unique style of music perfectly.
He is joined on stage by Susan Mouton on
cello and Chanie Jonker on piano and accordion while du Toit himself plays the
guitar from time to time. This provides an atmospheric backing which easily
transports you to a late night smoky French café.
Du Toit - who delivers the songs in four
languages, English, Afrikaans, French and Dutch - does not totally ignore the
big numbers as he also performs the likes of Marieke, Ne Me Quite Pas (Seasons In The Sun), Amsterdam, Voir un ami pleurer (To see a friend crying), Jojo, Carousel and of course the great If We Only Had Love.
Although he only had an audience of 13, du
Toit put his heart into it and delivered all the passion, love and tenderness
Brel was capable of despite his sometimes stark, violent and emotional lyrics.
I am not sure if Jannie du Toit would ever
consider visiting KZN again because of the lack of support he received, but if
he does and you are a Jacques Brel fan don’t miss this show for a different
take on this great artist. – Keith Millar
For
more information on the Hilton Arts Festival visit www.hiltonfestival.co.za
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