On Saturday, teams of Section Two of the Kaapse Klopse competition finally got a chance to show what they are made of after their event was cancelled at the Athlone Stadium the week before due to gale-force winds.
This was a magical day of klops we all dream about - all the troupes competing under one roof on the same day.
The Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association had the tough task of completing all of their items in one day, after deciding to combine two days of competition in order not to fall behind schedule.
There were many great performances on the day but my favourites came closer to the end, when the Kensington All Stars took to the stage and gave a solid performance on all three of their items.
I was highly impressed with their combine chorus of The Prayer.
They seemed very disciplined and followed their conductor’s every move, went soft when he showed them to and gave power when he wanted it.
I am a firm believer that you don’t need the best singers, but with respect and dedication one can achieve amazing things and this is what I felt when watching them combine.
Also, it was a nice song choice with a very good arrangement.
Their juvenile sentimental also sang beautifully, which lifted the spirits of the singpak even more, and this confidence filtered through to their moppie.
HUMOUR: Naadier Adams of K All Stars. Picture: Supplied.
They boast an experienced lead singer in the form of Naadier Adams who is always a delight to watch.
He added humour and flavour, so overall a good performance from this team.
A wonderfully surprising performance for me came from Orient by Faa who took things to the next level.
They are celebrating their 20th anniversary in a big way.
The Orients have always been a team with a lekker band and I always look forward to seeing them at road marches and we all know they are still the exhibition kings.
I was further away from the stage when they sang combine so I could not hear the complete story but the tone projected by the team was of a high calibre.
The singpak sounded strong and powerful and I thought to myself, “ die Orient kommie mettie lag die jaar nie”.
Their moppie stole the show once again, with lead singer Marawaan Karriem doing a stunning job.
He adds the perfect combination of net genoeg sing, net genoeg acting en net genoeg dans, always remaining disciplined when singing with the pak, never killing them off at any moment.
The tunes were to die for and from where I was standing it sounded like the roof was coming off Athlone Stadium, so kwaai ouens.
After that I went to get some food in the VIP section and then Playaz took the stage.
This was also not the same Playaz of last season.
They seemed prepared and confident and coach Mubariek Alexander stood firm in front of them and they delivered a brilliant combine.
DELIGHT: Robin Pieters performed I Have Nothing. Picture: Supplied.
I stood there thinking, hoo jinne, ek is bly ek issie vandag ‘n judge nie.
It was a clean, powerful performance and they definitely hit the mark.
This was followed by a moppie that rhythmically was second to none.
Daai ding het gerol, ek praatie van hoe hulle gesing hettie, just the moppie itself.
If someone were to ask you that moment what is the difference between ghoema and moppie, you would have pointed to their moppie and said, this one, here is a moppie, so well done to Adiel Dante, the moppie coach of Playaz.
The mighty D6 Raw then closed things off in formidable fashion with yet another masterful combine.
The lyrics once again stole the show as Ziyaad Hattas has been showcasing over the past two years.
This year his combine spoke about the abuse, rape and murder of our innocent women.
This singpak takes much pride in their delivery and sing for their conductor, but it was the feeling with which they sang that captivated the audience on Saturday.
They then followed up their combine with one of Cape Town’s favourite entertainers, Robin Pieters, performing Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing as the adult sentimental, much to the delight of the crowd.
WONDERFUL TALENT: Mujahid Isaacs from D6 Raw. Picture: Supplied.
They ended off with the moppie Boeta Taliep die Visserman performed by Mujahid Isaacs who is fast becoming one of the most sought after moppie singers in the game.
He has clear vocals and can sing long phrases in one breath which is quite unique for a moppie lead singer.
There were good performances all around, so it is going to be tough on the judges.
The only disappointment was that some teams did not get to sing on the day.
Juvie Boys, West London All stars and Baruch Entertainers had to sit this one out as time ran out and the stadium had to close as per City of Cape Town regulation.
Another sore point was when the sound technicians messed up and some teams had to sing again, causing delays.
But overall, it was a job well done by the KKKA.
This weekend gaan die ding weer ruk, so stiek uit by Athlone Stadium.