Oppikoppi
Encyclopedia
Oppikoppi is the name of a music festival
held in the Limpopo Province of South Africa
, near the mining
town of Northam. The festival started off focusing mostly on rock music
, but gradually added more genres and now plays host to a complete mixed bag of genres. Anything from jazz
, world music
, house music
, acoustic
, comedy
and all else in between can be heard on one of the multiple stages
. Each year in August thousands of people flock to the farm to camp out in the bush
and enjoy the music. The festival features mostly South African bands, although international acts are included in the mix.
phrase "op die koppie", which literally means "on the hill". The camping area is at the foot of a hill, on top of which is a bar and the Sipho Gumede stage. This stage features all the hip hop
and dance acts, while the main Oppikoppi stage features all of the big acts and most of the rock.
movement in the late 90's. It has attracted anything from 5,000 to 15,000 people.
According to their organizers they have "rolled bakkies
, burnt tents, driven over knees, slept in jails, slept outside jails and turned over several stones to make gigs
and festivals work."
, punk
, ska
, folk, blues, drum ‘n bass
, big beat
s, funk
, kwaito
, jazz, traditional
, world music and other genres.
In addition to the annual festival in August of every year, the festival also hosts a smaller, more intimate gathering on each Easter
weekend in April, focusing mostly on rock and jazz. In the past there has also been New Year's
gatherings.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
held in the Limpopo Province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, near the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
town of Northam. The festival started off focusing mostly on rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, but gradually added more genres and now plays host to a complete mixed bag of genres. Anything from jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
, comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
and all else in between can be heard on one of the multiple stages
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
. Each year in August thousands of people flock to the farm to camp out in the bush
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
and enjoy the music. The festival features mostly South African bands, although international acts are included in the mix.
Setting
Oppikoppi is a colloquial abbreviation of the AfrikaansAfrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
phrase "op die koppie", which literally means "on the hill". The camping area is at the foot of a hill, on top of which is a bar and the Sipho Gumede stage. This stage features all the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and dance acts, while the main Oppikoppi stage features all of the big acts and most of the rock.
History
The festival started in 1994, with 27 local talents performing to a small crowd of enthusiasts. It has since grown substantially, with the addition of many new stages and thousands of people turning up each year. The festival is regarded by some as the primary influence in jump-starting the South African rock musicRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
movement in the late 90's. It has attracted anything from 5,000 to 15,000 people.
According to their organizers they have "rolled bakkies
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
, burnt tents, driven over knees, slept in jails, slept outside jails and turned over several stones to make gigs
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
and festivals work."
Acts and genres
The festival hosts a wide array of acts, with artists being booked from genres such as: rock, hip hop, hardcoreHardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop, also referred to as hardcore rap, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Schoolly D, Spoonie Gee, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool G Rap, it is generally characterized by anger, aggression and...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, folk, blues, drum ‘n bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
, big beat
Big beat
Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in...
s, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, kwaito
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
, jazz, traditional
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
, world music and other genres.
In addition to the annual festival in August of every year, the festival also hosts a smaller, more intimate gathering on each Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
weekend in April, focusing mostly on rock and jazz. In the past there has also been New Year's
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
gatherings.
August festivals
- 1995 Festival of Rock 1
- 1996 Festival of Rock 2
- 1997 One Big Bang
- 1998 Bushveld Blast
- 1999 Infestation
- 2000 Trek 2000
- 2001 Tuned
- 2002 Plunge
- 2003 Hond uit 'n Box
- 2004 Oppikoppi 10: Blood is thicker than Soda Water
- 2005 Wired
- 2006 Rock, Paper, Scissors
- 2007 Way Of The Dassie
- 2008 Wildcard
- 2009 Smoorverlief
- 2010 sExY. cRoOkEd. tEeTh
- 2011 Unknown Brother
Easter festivals
- 1998 African Savannas Easter
- 1999 Ontlont!
- 2000 How's Your Mother?
- 2001 Patrolliehond
- 2002 Willie Smit
- 2003 If Not Tomorrow, Then The Next Day
- 2004 Oppikoppi 10: You Check The Level, The Level Is Fine With Me
- 2005 Dust On My Meerkat
- 2006 Haat My Want Ek Vrees My Hasie
- 2007 More Than Somewhat
- 2008 VMMIJDKWMKAHOID’nAPMWEMP
- 2009 Strictly Come Twakkie (Not quite Easter festival)
Other
- 1995 (New Years) New Year's Bushveld Jol
- 1996 (New Years) Moerrit Boetie New Year's Jol
- 1997 (New Years) Inni Tanne New Year's Jol
- 2003 (November) Beetroot (held at the Pretoria Showgrounds)
Notable bands and artists
The following bands/artists have played at Oppikoppi:- 340ml340ml340ml is an African musical group who originate from Maputo, Mozambique, but are now based in Johannesburg, South Africa. They have therefore jokingly been described by some as being "Jozambican". The band incorporates many different elements into their music including Dub, Jazz, Ska, Afro-jazz and...
- African Dope Records
- Albert Frost
- The ArrowsThe ArrowsArrows were an English American band based in London, England. The group, which formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1977, included singer/bassist Alan Merrill, guitarist Jake Hooker and drummer Paul Varley. They had hit singles in 1974 and 1975 with "Touch Too Much", "My Last Night With You" and "I...
- Ashton NyteAshton NyteAshton Nyte is a South African born singer, songwriter, producer, composer and front man of the South African alternative rock band The Awakening. Nyte has released five solo albums both as Ashton Nyte and Ashton Nyte and the Accused in addition to his numerous releases as The Awakening...
- The AwakeningThe Awakening (band)The Awakening is an alternative rock band from Johannesburg, South Africa, formed in 1995 by vocalist, guitarist and producer Ashton Nyte. The band is credited in the press as "South Africa's most successful Gothic Rock act and one of the top bands in the far broader Alternative scene." The band...
- Bacchus Nel
- Battery 9Battery 9Battery 9 , an industrial music project from Johannesburg, South Africa, is the brainchild of Paul Riekert, who writes, plays and records the music in a mixture of English and Afrikaans...
- Bed on Bricks
- Beef!Beef (band)Beef is a Dutch band, formed out of an underground radio show called "The Chop Shop" in 1999.While generally classified as reggae, their music is actually a combination of many different styles.- Biography/Discography/History :...
- Billy TalentBilly TalentBilly Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
- BLK Sonshine
- Blues Broers
- Blunted Stuntman
- Boo!Boo! (band)Boo! are a South African band. They described their music as "Monki Punk". Boo! consisted of three members; the cross-dressing "Miss" Chris Chameleon on bass guitar and lead vocals, Princess Leonie on drums and Ampie Omo, filled in the rest of the sounds on trumpet, trombone, keyboard and...
- Brasse van die Kaap
- Brixton Moord en Roof Orkes
- C-Mon & Kypski
- Chris LetcherChris LetcherChris Letcher is a South African singer/songwriter and film composer based in London. He is currently studying towards the completion of his Doctorate in Music Composition at the Royal College of Music, London. Two of Chris's albums made South Africa's Mail & Guardian list of the 20 Best Cds of the...
- Cutting JadeCutting Jade-History:Cutting Jade formed in 1998. Their first demo single was released to South Africa's largest campus station TUKS FM in late 1998 and reached number one on the station's South African Top 10. The same song also made it to number 10 on the station's Top 30, the first unsigned band ever to...
- Dan Patlansky
- Desmond and the Tutus
- Die AntwoordDie AntwoordDie Antwoord is a hip hop group from Cape Town, South Africa, consisting of three members: Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek.-Background:...
- Die Heuwels FantastiesDie heuwels fantasties-Name:Die Heuwels Fantasties is an Afrikaans electronic band from Bellville, South Africa.Die Heuwels Fantasties is composed of Hunter Kennedy , Pierre Greeff , and Johnny de Ridder .-First Album, Die Heuwels Fantasties:Their...
- Dirty Skirts
- DJ T
- DJ Jon Monsoon
- DJ Fokolnonsins
- DorpDorp (band)Dorp is a South African rock band based in London, England.-Formation:The band was formed in 1992, under its previous name, The Fauves, by Myburgh Grobbelaar , Albert Loubser , Dylan Kemlo , Timothy Rankin and David Poole in Somerset West at Parel Vallei High School.In 1995 guitarist Albert...
- Duck & Cover
- FokofpolisiekarFokofpolisiekarFokofpolisiekar is an Afrikaans punk rock band from Bellville, near Cape Town, South Africa. Due to the obscenity in the name, they are also commonly known simply as Polisiekar or FPK.-Band history:...
- Frank OppermanFrank OppermanIn 1993 he moved to America for a few years but later returned to South Africa to become co-owner of a Jazz club called Bassline in Johannesburg. He also released a rock album called Serial Boyfriend....
- Fuzigish
- Gemma RayGemma rayGemma Ray is a Singer-songwriter from Basildon, Essex. Her music is frequently described as Pop- Noir, though her music is hard to set in any one genre; she considers herself primarily describes herself as a torch singer who can't help writing pop songs...
- Gito BaloiGito BaloiGito Baloi was an African musician, born in Mozambique. Originally known for his collaborations and as a member of the trio Tananas, his haunting voice and bass guitar also shine through his solo albums "Ekhaya", Na Ku Randza", "Herbs & Roots" and the posthumously released "Beyond"...
- GoldfishGoldfishThe goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
- Greg Georgiades & Ashish Joshi
- Groove ArmadaGroove ArmadaGroove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
- Guy Buttery
- Harris TweedHarris Tweed (band)Dear Reader is an alternative/pop band from Johannesburg, South Africa. The band was founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Cherilyn MacNeil and producer/bass player, Darryl Torr...
- HeideroosjesHeideroosjesHeideroosjes , is a punk rock band from Horst aan de Maas, Netherlands. The band is known for their energetic shows and songs with lyrics mostly in Dutch and English, and a few songs in German and Limburgs...
- Honeymoon Suites
- Jack ParowJack ParowZander Tyler, better known by his stage name Jack Parow is a South African Afrikaans rapper from Bellville in the Western Cape. He is well known for his contribution to the song Die Vraagstuk with Die Heuwels Fantasties. He also performed with Die Heuwels Fantasties at Oppikoppi 2009...
- Jimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
- Josie Field
- Karen ZoidKaren ZoidKaren Zoid is a female South African rock artist with vocal and guitar and acting talent. She is also a songwriter whose lyrics have been included in Afrikaans poetry courses at Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria.On 3 May 2008 she won the South African Music Awards SAMA for...
- KobusKobusKobus may refer to:* Arthur Kobus , German general during the Second World War* Waldemar Kobus , German actor* Kobus, a genus of antelope of the subfamily Reduncinae* Kobus!, a South African metal band...
- Koos KombuisKoos KombuisKoos Kombuis 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 of Voëlvry , toured campuses...
- LeekLeekThe leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum , also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs, along with the onion and garlic, to family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Allioideae...
- Lithium
- Matthew van der WantMatthew van der WantMatthew van der Want is a South African singer, songwriter and recording artist.AlbumsHis debut album, "Turn on You", was recorded in 1996 by Shifty Records' Lloyd Ross, and released on the Tic Tic Bang record label in December 1996...
- Menage a tois
- The NarrowThe NarrowThe Narrow began in 2002, an idea spawned by Emile , Jow , Sid and Lias . Lacking a vocalist at this stage it made sense to bring in Hanu. Hanu and Emile de Jong, were lead vocalist and lead guitarist respectively for South African rock band “Not My Dog” and it was an obvious choice to continue...
- New AcademicsNew AcademicsNew Academics is a four piece Funk rock band formed in Cape Town, South Africa. They are currently based in Johannesburg. They are known for their mixture of Afro-beat, Jazz, Hard rock, Funk and Hip hop in their music and have built a solid a following in South Africa and Europe with their debut...
- New Porn
- Not My Dog
- The ParlotonesThe ParlotonesThe Parlotones is a rock band based in Johannesburg, South Africa. They have achieved multiplatinum-selling status in their home country. They experiment with their sound and various structures in their songs, incorporating the typical doo-wop or traditional folk structures. The Parlotones are...
- Pestroy
- PlumPlumA plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
- Prime CirclePrime CirclePrime Circle is a rock band formed in December 2000 in Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa. They are currently based in Johannesburg. Originally signed to The David Gresham Record Company, they have been signed to EMI Music South Africa since the early part of 2008.Their first album, Hello Crazy...
- Riku LattiRiku LättiRiku Lätti , is a South African singer, songwriter and writer. After Riku matriculated in 1991 at Hoërskool Florida, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, he studied philosophy at University of the Witwatersrand where he finished his honours degree.In South Africa Riku collaborated with superstars such...
- Roger GoodeRoger GoodeRoger Goode is a South African DJ who rose to local fame for his first single "In The Beginning", which featured on 5FM's Top 40. This later led to him being signed up with a local dance record label, SheerDance, under which he released his first album, Coming Up for Air in 2001."In The Beginning"...
- Slugs of War
- SoulwaxSoulwaxSoulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
- Springbok Nude GirlsSpringbok Nude GirlsThe Springbok Nude Girls is a rock band from Cape Town, South Africa.An alternative rock band, the Nude Girls introduced punk, ska, acid jazz and metal into their songs, introducing a new world of music to the youth of South Africa in the early 1990s.They played their first big gig in September...
- Stanton WarriorsStanton WarriorsStanton Warriors are the breakbeat duo Dominic Butler and Mark Yardley. They are a DJ and producer team. Originally from the West Country, the pair now play sets at nightclubs such as Fabric and Ciros in the UK, and travel the globe with international work in Europe, Canada, America and Australia...
- Steve NewmanSteve NewmanSteve Newman is an accomplished South African acoustic guitarist, and was a founder member of the popular African group Tananas. For thirty years Newman has been collaborating with fellow South African guitarist, Tony Cox. He is also one of The Aquarian Quartet, consisting of Tony Cox, Syd Kitchen...
- Stoff
- Strings & Skins
- Sum 41Sum 41Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
- Syd KitchenSyd KitchenSydney Stanley Kitchen, was a South African guitarist, singer-songwriter and poet. Because of his uncompromising attitude towards the music industry he became an iconic figure in his native South Africa, and also around the world, albeit in relatively small circles...
- Taxi Violence
- Tidal Waves
- The UsedThe UsedThe Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
- Valiant SwartValiant SwartValiant swart is an Afrikaans folk/rock singer from Stellenbosch, South Africa.-Albums:*Die Mystic Boer *Dorpstraat Revisited *Kopskoot *Roekeloos *Deur die Donker Vallei *Boland Punk *Maanhare...
- Violent FemmesViolent FemmesViolent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...
- Wolraad Woltemade (Band)
- Wonderboom (band)Wonderboom (band)Wonderboom is a 4 piece South African rock band from Johannesburg.They formed in 1996 when Martin, Wade and Cito, originally in an underground band called "The Eight Legged Groove Machine", were approached by Danny, the drummer for the popular rock band, "The Electric Petals" and their manager,...
- YoungBlood Brass BandYoungblood Brass BandThe Youngblood Brass Band is a brass band from Oregon, Wisconsin, United States that was started by students at Oregon High School in 1995 when they were known as the One Lard Biskit Brass Band with the name changed to the current name in 1998.-History:...
- Zebra & GiraffeZebra & GiraffeZebra & Giraffe is an alternative rock band from South Africa. The band's debut album, Collected Memories, was released on 5 May 2008.-Greg Carlin:...