The Modern Boys Sporting Club is celebrating 10 years in the Cape Malay Choir community this year.
The club was founded in 2009 by Shahien Strachan and participated in their first competition the very next year.
For a team that was started in the 21st century, they have already achieved some of the highest accolades in this culture.
In 2011, they won first prize Combine under the coaching and guidance of choir conductor, Lizl Gaffley, and had great success on the Moppie item when Moenier Monox Adams won the first prize moppie for them the same year.
The team was also coached by the great Omar Adams, the moppie legend himself.
They qualified for their first Top 8 competition in 2013.
They then went on to participate in four more Top 8 competitions since then.
Shahien says that it’s tough running a choir in the 21st century due to the costs involved, but says: “We do it for the love of the game.”
He was inspired and introduced to the culture by his oupa, Ismail Abdullah Bagus, who at that time was the vice- president of the Cape Malay Choir Board.
As a laaitie he used to jol with his grandfather and the popular team of those days, the Yorkshire Boys.
BELIEVER: Club founder Shahien Strachan. Photo: SUPPLIED
Shahien says: “Ek het basically groot geword innie Good Hope Centre, en ons mis nog tot vandag toe daai venue, want daar was soveel mooi memories daar gemaak.”
The team’s klopskamer is in Ottery and many of the members hail from there as well as Hanover Park, Athlone, Belhar, Delft, Kalksteen and Mitchells Plain.
Their aim is to present a positive outlet for the youth from these areas and to create a second home for their members.
“Much praise should go to the women, because without mothers, wives and sisters who supported us since the beginning, we would not have had our past success,” says Shahien.
He also says that the Modern Boys is proud to be associated with the CMCB and will remain faithful to this umbrella body.
I have always wondered why so many Malay Choir teams sing for the klopse during the minstrel season.
Shahien points out the reason is simple: some klopse base have more money than their Malay choir counterparts, and they sing for the klopse in exchange for either money or the klopse band playing at their Oujaarsaand jol.
For me, one of the stand-out moments that I witnessed myself from the Modern Boys was when Moenier Adams sang the moppie song, titled Michael Jackson.
It was creative and well sung by the singpak and Monox pushed himself into the legendary bracket after his team won the first prize Moppie.
It’s now the Modern Boys’ 10th anniversary and Shahien says he intends giving it his all.
It has been a while since they have been to the Top 8, but he believes this is the year for their comeback.
To this end they’ve opened their klops- kamer earlier because Shahien is a firm believer in the saying, practice makes perfect.
The team will also be participating in the Oujaarsaand jol this year and Shahien says he is hoping to be ‘vol vrag’, as they have secured a vuurwarme band for the historic New Year’s Eve jol.
So come 1 July, the doors to the Modern Boys’ klopskamer in Ottery will be open and they’ve extended a warm welcome to all their members and former members.
Ask any Malay choir fundi and they will tell you that it is not easy to open a team in this day and age, and that if a team lasts even one year it is something worth celebrating.
So slamat to Shahien and his Modern Boys and may there be many more successful years ahead.
Oupa Ismail Bagus would have been very proud of you.
If you don’t have plans for Oujaarsaand, my advice i s, gaan hop met die Modern Boys for some good, clean fun and a lekker dose of Malay Choir culture.
For more information about this troupe, or if you wish to join, like the Modern Boys Facebook page and see what they’re all about.