[Harp-L] Harmonica Article

[Rooty Baegga <rootybaegga@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=665&fArticleId=2455304

SOUTH AFRICA
Finding harmony in the harmonica
March 22, 2005

By Christine De Kock

The harmonica, in the right hands, can become the sister of soul or the 
koeksister of Boeremusiek.

It can be played in as many ways as there are makes of instruments, an art 
which Johann Kok (68) and Art Daane (70) have spent more than 50 years of 
their lives discovering.

The two want to represent South Africa at the World Harmonic Festival in 
Trossingen, Germany in November, but they need to find a sponsor to cover 
their costs.

Trossingen is home to Hohner, the largest mouth-organ company in the world.

Both Daane and Kok look forward to the opportunity to share South Africa's 
Boeremusiek at the international festival, which will be attended by 
harmonica players from Europe, Japan, Israel and America.

But they also want to share their love of music with South African children.

They have approached schools in the Strand and Kuils River to set up 
demonstrations of various kinds of harmonicas and, where possible, to teach 
the youngsters how to play the instrument.

Daane, originally from the Netherlands, is the more avid player of the two.

He started playing the harmonica when he was a schoolboy and later studied 
at the Chromatic Harmonica School in Rotterdam.

Kok also developed his passion for the instrument from a young age. "I 
played since the age of five, when I received a small diatonic harmonica in 
my Christmas stocking," he said.

Kok met Daane when he was learning to play the chromatic harmonica in 1954.

Daane said he had just arrived from Holland and was working in a butchery 
in the Strand.

"I was walking up the street after work and I could hear the sound of a 
harmonica," Daane said.

"To me the sound of a harmonica was wonderful and I had to know where it 
was coming from. So I followed the sound, heard it coming from a house, 
climbed up to the window and looked in - and there was Johann trying to 
play the chromatic harmonica."

Daane taught Kok how to play the chromatic harmonica, which has 48 notes, 
until his return to Holland in 1960. "My wife was always in trouble with 
the police," he said. "We had to leave."

His wife, South African Jacqueline van Rensburg, was an unaffiliated 
anti-apartheid activist.

"Anything the police would do that was wrong to a coloured or black person, 
she would jump in. Then the police would come round to us. It became 
unbearable."

But the two returned to South Africa in 2004 and since then Daane and Kok 
have been "jamming" together, playing golden oldie tunes at nursing homes.

Daane is an experienced harmonica player. In his youth, he performed at 
concerts in Europe. He also cut instrumental records on his return to Holland.

In South Africa, he also formed the first harmonica trio with Vincent van 
Rooyen and Bryan Jones in 1954.

Kok said he was passionate about music, which was why he played an instrument.

But Daane said he was passionate about the harmonica. "I am just a big 
harmonica," he said. "It means so much to me. If I had to do without it, I 
would rather be dead.

"With an accordion, the sound goes out, with a piano the sound goes out, 
but with a harmonica the sound is held inside your body.

"You feel the vibration," Daane said, referring to the way breath is 
inhaled to create sound on the harmonica.

"I love Boeremusiek, it is simple, with only three chords (on the 
harmonica), but I enjoy it," Daane said.

Kok said the music of South African Danie Bosman was among his favourites 
to play on the harmonica.

To prove it, Kok pulled out his music sheets and harmonica to play My Skat 
as a duo with Daane - his passion better expressed in action than in his 
words.

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Rooty Baegga

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