David Kramer

David Kramer (1951-) is a bilingual singer, musician, composer, playwright and director.

Biography

Born in Worcester in 1951, he learnt to play the guitar and wrote music at an early age, playing in a band called The Creeps during his schooldays. Kramer matriculated at Worcester Boys High School.

Originally trained as a textile designer at Leeds University where he graduated with an Honours degree (1971-74), but discovered a need to write songs expressing and interpreting the South African reality.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

David Kramer has made a significant contribution to the arts in South Africa - as singer/songwriter, playwright/composer, and theatre and music producer. Primarily known for his tranformation of South African music, and the enhancement of non-standard Cape Afrikaans (or "Kaaps") as a musical vehicle.

As singer/songwriter

He began his music career as a singer/songwriter, performing at folk clubs and campus concerts across South Africa in the mid 1970’s, singing satirical songs. He began writing and singing songs based on a mix of rock, Afrikaans folk ("Boeremusiek") songs and township music, despite his revulsion of the Nationalist regime. His recordings, combined with his popular public appearances and the immensely entertaining series of Volkswagen Minibus adverts starring Kramer made him a household name and face in the 1980s.

His first album, Bakgat!, was immediately banned in its entirety by the SABC because of its political satire, the use of coarse language and the mixing of languages. Kramer pioneered the use of Cape Afrikaans and South African English in his lyrics, sometimes switching between the languages in the same song. He focussed on small town South Africa and employed a gritty realism and dark satire to tell his stories and describe his characters.

His albums include:

1980 Bakgat! (Gold) (banned by the SABC in 1981)

1981 The Story Of Blokkies Joubert (Triple Gold, Platinum)

1982 Delicious Monster (Gold)

1983 Hanepootpad (Double Gold)

1984 Jisjisjis (Recorded Live) (Double Gold)

1984 Kwaai

1986 Baboondogs

1986 Laat Vir Die Dans (Afrikaans Hits)

1986 District Six - The Musical (Gold)

1988 Cape Town (With Taliep Petersen)

1989 Eina

1991 Fairyland

1995 Kat and the Kings (International Release)

1996 Klassic Kramer

1997 Alles Vannie Beste (Gold)

1999 Kliphard

2001 In The Days Of District Six

2002 Karoo Kitaar Blues

2004 Huistoe

2007 Hemel & Aarde

2017 Wakkerslaap

Other purely musical performances include stage performances of The Jol and Hemel en aarde ("heaven and earth") (2009). While working with Barney Simon on his show The Jol at the Market Theatre, Kramer became interested in theatrical work.

As writer - Musicals by David Kramer and Taliep Petersen

Together with Taliep Petersen, David Kramer created the musical District Six – The Musical which ran at the Baxter Theatre for six months in 1987 before moving to the Market Theatre in February 1988. Together with Taliep Petersen he created Poison which was staged at the Nico Malan Theatre in 1992. At the same time their Fairyland was staged at the Dock Road Theatre and Crooners was staged at the City Lights Theatre. (Tucker, 1997)

Kramer did his first productions under the label Blik Productions.

• District Six - The Musical (1987)

• Fairyland (1990)

• Crooners (1992)

• Poison (1992, 1994, 2000)/re-written as Danger in the Dark (2019)

• Kat and the Kings (1995)

• Klop Klop (1996)

• Ghoema (2005)/Ghoema - Spice Drum Beat (London version, 2006)

Musicals written by David Kramer

• The Eyes of their Whites (1990, a revue, in association with Paul Slabolepszy)
• Die Ballade van Koos Sas (2001, in association with Jody Abrahams and Gaerin Hauptfleisch)
• The Kramer Petersen Songbook (2007)
• Some Like It Vrot (2011)
• Blood Brothers (2013, adaptation of Willy Russell's musical)
• Orpheus in Africa (2015)
• District Six - Kanala (2016)
• Langarm (2018)
• Ver in die Wêreld Kittie (2024)

As theatre impresario - The Dock Road Theatre

In 1990, David and Renaye Kramer became partners in an entertainment complex housed in a historic building in Cape Town’s Waterfront development. Here they opened the Dock Rd Theatre. Ninety percent of the work staged during the six years of its existence was original South African writing and this vision was pursued without any state subsidy or grant. The venue closed in 1996. He and Renaye went on to form a production company David Kramer Productions.

As music producer

In 2001, Kramer presented a small show at the KKNK, called Karoo Kitaar Blues. It was a concert presenting the eccentric guitar styles of the Karoo - unique finger-picking and tunings of a marginalised people who live in isolated and impoverished areas and play the “ou liedjies”. The performance featured untutored musicians from farms and towns such as Hannes Coetzee and Tokos Lodewyk.

As director

Theatre productions directed by David Kramer include:

• From the Cape Flats with Love (Marc Lottering) (2000)
• Big Stakes and Slap Chips (Marc Lottering) (2001)
• Hallelujah! (Marc Lottering) (2007)
• 3 Wise Men (Marc Lottering, Nik Rabinowitz, Riaad Moosa)
• 3 Wiser Men (2008-2009, Marc Lottering, Nik Rabinowitz, Riaad Moosa)
• Krismis van Map Jacobs (Adam Small)
• Radio Classics (Izobell, Ford)
• Blood Brothers (2013)
• Orpheus in Africa (2015-2016)
• Amper Famous (Vito Heyn, Kramer)
• District Six - Kanala
• Afrique Mon Desir (Laurinda Hofmeyr)
• Platteland
• Langarm (2018)

Filmed recordings of Kramer's work

• Karoo Kitaar Blues (2004)
• District Six - The Musical (2007)
• The Kramer Petersen Songbook (2008)
• Ghoema (2009)
• Karoo Kitaar Blues - Live in Concert (2010)

Awards, etc

Winner of numerous awards over the years for his music as well as his theatre work. This includes the Fleur du Cap Award for Best Contribution to a Musical or Revue for Kat and the Kings (1999) and the revival of District Six (2002), and a Laurence Olivier Award as Best New Musical in 1999 for Kat and the Kings, all of which he shared with Taliep Petersen.

In 1999, Kramer received an award from the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees called "Afrikaans Onbeperk", awarded annually to someone who has made a significant contribution to the Afrikaans language.

Kramer received a GMT Lifelong Achievement Award in 2005 for his contribution to Afrikaans music. He has also been honoured by SARRAL (South African Recording Artists Assoc. Ltd) and entered in their Composers Hall of Fame.

In Dec 2007, Kramer was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Cape Town.

In March 2008, Kramer received a Kanna award for Best Contemporary Music Performance.

In 2010, he received the ATKV Woordveertjie Prestigetoekenning, as well as an award from the Innibos Festival for his contribution to Afrikaans music. He also received a Kanna award from the KKNK for his Exceptional Contribution to a Contemporary Music Production for his concert, Breyani.

Sources

Pretoria News, 18 April 2001.

"Twee manne steel die kollig" , Rapport Tydskrif, 20 September, 2009: p. 8.

Die Beeld, Die Kunste Oktober/November 2018.

Official website, https://www.davidkramer.co.za/history.html

Go to the ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities K

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page