Review of ‘Knip Die Tou’ from Tian Nienaber – So, I’m about as English as English can be, and yes, the Afrikaans part of the family teasingly referred to me as “rooinek,” “soutie” and other pet names over the years…
I do however have full comprehension, thanks to my love of language and acing Afrikaans in my school going years. I am even able to hold a reasonable conversation, just with a ridiculously English accent. Having said this, I must confess, I generally avoid Afrikaans music. Only Francois Van Coke & Karen Zoid ever made it to my playlist. But here I am, reviewing the latest offering from A very well known and much loved Afrikaans artist, Tian Nienaber, for his latest offering “Knip die tou”, which translates to ‘Cut the cord” or “rope”.
On watching the video from Tian Nienaber’s latest single “Knip die Tou,” one thing is certain, I’m impressed! I would even go as far as to say, a little ashamed of myself for snubbing a genre that certainly deserves more from me.
Tian can sing. Tian can move me. I always use my emotions as my read-o-meter when it comes to deciding how I receive a song, and it has spoken. In Afrikaans. “Hierdie liedjie is befok mooi!”
Sometimes you hear a song that isn’t in your mother tongue, maybe a Norwegian or German rock song and you don’t understand a darn word. Yet it speaks to you. The artist has that crazy gift to convey intense emotion through their vocals coupled with an enticing melody. ‘Knip die tou’ has that effect.
I first listened with my emotions, and allowed myself to feel it, then went back to focus on the words. As it all came together, I knew that this was beautiful music! I bow my head in shame as I encourage my English – speaking readers to check it out too, because it is so deeply heartfelt.
It is evident that Tian wrote this song with his own experience. There’s such a heart-wrenching urgency in his words. You can feel the realness and torment in every word. The realisation that sometimes love just isn’t enough to keep a relationship that’s failing or toxic, alive.
Sometimes you have to cut the cord. And that’s probably one of the hardest things to acknowledge… and even harder to do.
Bravo Tian. You got this soutie on a tou she won’t “knip.”
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