Anton Goosen (born 5 March 1946 in

Middelburg, Eastern Cape Middelburg () is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, in the Great Karoo. It lies in the Upper Karoo, 1,279 m above sea level, with a population of 19,000.

) is a South African musician and songwriter. He became a pivotal figure in

Afrikaans Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...

music and is generally regarded as the father of Afrikaans Rock.

Early years

As a young boy in school, Goosen was not considered 'bright'. At the age of 9, his teachers sought to place him in a class for mentally challenged children as his behaviour became disruptive. When he was 17, a guidance counsellor suggested to Goosen that he abandon his music career. In 1963, Goosen was expelled from boarding school after being caught in a bath playing guitar and smoking. His guitar was confiscated and its case filled with bricks. Despite this, Goosen persevered and formed his high school's first rock band that same year. Goosen attended the Teachers Training College Heidelberg, and qualified in Special Education after which he taught school for awhile, and worked as a writer and reviewer for

Beeld ''Beeld'' (freely translated as ''Picture'' or ''Image'') is an Afrikaans-language daily newspaper that was launched on 16 September 1974. ''Beeld'' is distributed in four provinces of South Africa: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West, ...

, before becoming a full-time song writer.

Career

Goosen wrote songs for other artists, most notably and prodigiously for

Sonja Herholdt Sonja Herholdt (born 1 December 1952) is a South African singer-songwriter and Afrikaner actress. Personal life Herholdt was born in the small Gauteng mining village of Nigel and at the age of three made her first singing performance at the loc ...

, but also for Carike Keuzenkamp,

Laurika Rauch Laurika Rauch, (born 1 November 1950 in Cape Town) is a South African singer who performs in both Afrikaans and English. She had a hit single in 1979 with ''Kinders van die Wind'' (''Children of the Wind''), written by Koos du Plessis. The song ...

Richard Clayderman Richard Clayderman (; born Philippe Pagès , 28 December 1953 in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popu ...

, Francis Goya, and

Koos Kombuis Koos Kombuis (born ''André le Roux du Toit'', 5 November 1954) is a South African musician, singer, songwriter and writer who became famous as part of a group of anti-establishment maverick Afrikaans musicians, who, under the collective name ...

. He released his own first album, ''Boy Van Die Suburbs'', in 1979, and it sold over 80,000 copies. He was noted for being the first to produce an album of his own works entirely in

. He used irony and symbolism in his songs to protest against removals to

Bantustans A Bantustan (also known as a Bantu homeland, a black homeland, a black state or simply known as a homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of the Union of South Africa (1910–1961) and later the Republic of Sout ...

and to underline the injustices behind the

Soweto riots The Soweto uprising, also known as the Soweto riots, was a series of demonstrations and protests led by black school children in South Africa during apartheid that began on the morning of 16 June 1976. Students from various schools began to p ...

. Goosen is noted for two films for which he wrote music and directed: ''n Brief vir Simone'' (1980) and ''Sing vir die Harlekyn'' (1980). He wrote the theme music for ''Die Laaste Tango'' (2013), ''n Pawpaw vir my Darling'' (2016) and ''Siembamba'' (''Lullaby'') (2017). As early as 1980 Goosen was referred to as ''the father of the Afrikaans chanson''.

Discography

Singles

* "Trompie" (1980) Theme from the TV Series 'Trompie' made from the books written by

Topsy Smith Topsy Smith (1875 – 15 April 1960) was an Arabana pioneer of Central Australia in the Northern Territory. She spent her life caring for Indigenous children at an institution known as The Bungalow in Alice Springs. Early life, marriage and chil ...

* "Boy Van Die Suburbs" (1981) * "'n Brief Vir Simone" (1981) Theme from the film of the same name * "Deurdruk Dag Toe" (1981) * "Baai Baai Bokkie" (1983)

Albums

* ''Boy Van Die Suburbs'' (1979) * ''2de Laan 58'' (1980) * ''Liedjieboer'' (1980) * ''Jors Troelie'' (1981) * ''Lappiesland'' (1985) * ''Liedjieboer In Die Stad/City'' (1986) * ''Winde Van Verandering'' (1988) * ''Danzer'' (1992) * ''Riviersonderend - 21 Greatest Hits'' (1994) * ''Bushrock (Of A White Kaffir In Africa)'' (1996) * ''Putonnerwater'' (1999) * ''n Vis Innie Bos'' (2001) * ''Anton en Vrinne Live in die Staatsteater'' (2003) * ''Die Groen Blomme-projek'' (2005) * ''33 A-sides (Grootste treffers)'' (2008) * ''33 B-sides (getye van verandering)'' (2008) * ''33 Sea-sides (om te rock 'n roll)'' (2008) * ''Volledig Vol 1'' (2014) * ''Volledig Vol 2'' (2015) * ''Volledig Vol 3'' (2016) * ''Love Songs'' (2016) * ''Padkos'' (2017) * ''40 Jaar liedjieboer innie langpad'' (2019) * Sirkels (2024)

Appears On

* ''Muses Op Besoek'' * ''Alternatief Op Sy Beste'' * ''Glenys Lynn Treffers'' * ''Jy Is My Liefling'' * ''Houtstok Rockfees'' * ''Die Beste Afrikaanse Album'' * ''Om Te Breyten'' * ''Geraas Musiek Toekennings'' * ''Vloek Van Die Kitaar''

Awards

References

External links

Anton Goosen official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goosen, Anton South African rock singers South African folk singers 1946 births Living people People from Middelburg, Eastern Cape Afrikaner people South African people of Dutch descent 20th-century South African male singers 21st-century South African male singers Afrikaans-language singers of South Africa