Joburg Alternative electro-rock power trio Go The Rodeo have just dropped their debut Afrikaans track, ‘Dowe Ore (Deaf Ears)’ and a killer animated video to go along with it! Highlighting the devastation of rhino poaching and the illegal wild animal trade in South Africa, the disturbing images evoke this struggle harrowing images that provide a thoughtful backdrop to a true anthem of modern South African. You can watch the clip below with or without subtitles. Their debut album Lekker Chilled was released on the 26th of July 2019. They were meant to tour Europe and the UK with Australian rock band Hands Like Houses in June of 2020, but due to the Coronavirus the tour has been cancelled.

 

Vocalist and guitarist Corne van Niekerk comments on the inspiration for the video and track, “The main idea was to step away from my own ego, and approach an issue that affects us all, especially as South Africans. As a band we’ve always had a strong stance against poaching, and we wanted to take this chance to raise environmental awareness. I think that people are desensitized to a lot of environmental issues, especially poaching, and that’s why I decided to switch the roles, hoping that the issue will be more relatable in that sense.”

He adds, “The idea of writing in Afrikaans is very personal to me, and I really took the time to refine the lyrics of this track, so as not to have it come across generic or corny. Even though a lot of people won’t understand Afrikaans, I believe that the music video has a global message.”

Go The Rodeo is:

Robert Mitchley (bass guitar)

Corne van Niekerk (vocals, guitar)

Craig Atkinson (drums)