A national icon was posthumously remembered this Monday.
A man of extraordinary talent, and he is none other than Andries Bok. Bok was bestowed with the Best Mentorship Award at the just ended awards ceremony for the National Arts Festival event.
The award is said to recognise his skills, and how he influenced and mentored guitarists who followed in this Folklore guitar path, such as Sbongile Kgaile, Solly Sebotso, and others. Besides this award, he has also previously been awarded with the Presidential Award.
Bok who would be celebrating his 68th birthday this year, sadly passed away almost ten years ago, following health complications, and was yet to reap the fruits of his talent. Unique, and a very down to earth artist, Bok in his interaction with his fans or those who followed his music was reserved, and not a man of many words.
Bestowed with an immaculate skill to tune and play his treasured guitar, a certain way and very different to his peers in the industry, his sound was distinctive and in a class of its own. While he was not gifted with vocal cords to belt out the lyrics to his many hits, he made up for that with his immaculate skills with the guitar.
To see him perform, and witness him mimic the sounds/ words of his song was always an absolute thrill. During the then President’s Day Celebrations, where he was a regular under the Traditional Instruments category, he was never hurried as he tuned and communicated to his treasured guitar.
Illiterate, with the passing years, it was hard to see him lose out to the younger generation who had a better understanding of the score sheet and what the judges were looking for. In the meantime, something that needs to be addressed urgently is the fact that national icons such as the late Bok who at the time of his passing was partially blind, your Kotaeshwele, and many who ply their trade as guitarists have very little to show for their efforts and talents.
Most if not all, who fall in the old crop of guitarists/ musicians are literally paupers and live from hand to mouth. In his case, for a man whose songs were played on the National Radio station, he had zero to show for his talent. He lived a very sad and bleak life. He resided in a dilapidated house in Werda, and lacked the basic amenities such as a toilet and water in his yard.
A man of extraordinary talent, and he is none other than Andries Bok. Bok was bestowed with the Best Mentorship Award at the just ended awards ceremony for the National Arts Festival event.
The award is said to recognise his skills, and how he influenced and mentored guitarists who followed in this Folklore guitar path, such as Sbongile Kgaile, Solly Sebotso, and others. Besides this award, he has also previously been awarded with the Presidential Award.
Bok who would be celebrating his 68th birthday this year, sadly passed away almost ten years ago, following health complications, and was yet to reap the fruits of his talent. Unique, and a very down to earth artist, Bok in his interaction with his fans or those who followed his music was reserved, and not a man of many words.
Bestowed with an immaculate skill to tune and play his treasured guitar, a certain way and very different to his peers in the industry, his sound was distinctive and in a class of its own. While he was not gifted with vocal cords to belt out the lyrics to his many hits, he made up for that with his immaculate skills with the guitar.
To see him perform, and witness him mimic the sounds/ words of his song was always an absolute thrill. During the then President’s Day Celebrations, where he was a regular under the Traditional Instruments category, he was never hurried as he tuned and communicated to his treasured guitar.
Illiterate, with the passing years, it was hard to see him lose out to the younger generation who had a better understanding of the score sheet and what the judges were looking for. In the meantime, something that needs to be addressed urgently is the fact that national icons such as the late Bok who at the time of his passing was partially blind, your Kotaeshwele, and many who ply their trade as guitarists have very little to show for their efforts and talents.
Most if not all, who fall in the old crop of guitarists/ musicians are literally paupers and live from hand to mouth. In his case, for a man whose songs were played on the National Radio station, he had zero to show for his talent. He lived a very sad and bleak life. He resided in a dilapidated house in Werda, and lacked the basic amenities such as a toilet and water in his yard.
