| Laurika Rauch | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Laurika Cecile Rauch |
| Birth Date: | 1950 11, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Cape Town |
| Genre: | Middle of the road •Popular |
| Occupation: | Singer |
| Years Active: | 1979 – |
| Label: | Laurika Rauch Productions |
| Instrument: | Singer |
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 featured prominently in the Afrikaans television series "Phoenix & Kie" in the late seventies.
Laurika was born in Cape Town on 1 November as the youngest child of Fritz and Rina Rauch. Her father was the public relations manager at Old Mutual until his retirement and hermother was a trained social worker, the editor of Die Huisvrou magazine and was also very involved in charity work, especially amongst the elderly. She started playing the piano at the age of five, and sang alto in Oom Hannes Uys se Kindersangkring, a children’s choir from Pinelands, for 10 years.
Laurika matriculated at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town, studied drama at the University of Stellenbosch and obtained her degree in 1972. She moved to Gauteng in 1974 and became a household name in 1979 with the release of her first hit, Kinders van die wind. It was the first Afrikaans song in the late seventies to simultaneously reach the number one position on the Radio 5 and Springbok radio hit parades.
She was an actress with PACT PLAYWORK in 1975-1976 under the leadership of Robin Malan. In the early eighties she also attracted attention with her interpretation of Jacques Brel’s musicwith her performances in Taubie Kushlick's two Jacques Brel productions at the Chelsea Theatre in Hillbrow.
In August 1996, Laurika performed with the Transvaal Philharmonic Orchestra (renamed NAPOP, now disbanded) in the Opera of the State Theatre in a program that consisted entirely of her repertoire. Both performances were sold out. Laurika has performed in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, London, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, and Australia. In December 1993, she performed for an audience of 13,000 people in Utrecht, accompanied by the well-known Metropole Orchestra.
In March 1997 the Charles University in Prague invited her and her pianist (Fanie Fouché) to represent Afrikaans as the youngest member of the Dutch language group to an audience of academics from Europe and Eastern Europe. The performances formed part of the Department of Neerlandistiek’s 75th Jubilee festivities at the university.
Laurika is married to Christopher Torr, the composer and writer of many of her hits, such as Stuur Groete aan Mannetjies Roux, Op Blouberg se Strand, Hot gates, Die Gang, Die mense op die Bus, My ou Tante Koba, Die Siener, Stille waters and many more. In 2011, Chris's first musical - Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux - was staged. It played to more than 50 sold-out performances in four main centres. The film titled Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux, which is based on the play, with Anna-Mart van der Merwe and Ian Roberts in lead roles, was released in 2013.[1]
In September 2013, she toured Australia and New Zealand. Laurika and her team performed in Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth.
Laurika released her first album in 4 years, Wals, wals, Willemien in 2014, Die reis followed in October 2016 and Gunstelinge in October 2017. In 2018, she performed with Loki Rothman at the Festival voor het Afrikaans in Amsterdam. In 2019, she commemorated her 40 years in the music industry by releasing a limited edition (1000 copies) box set of 15 of her most loved albums, titled Laurika Rauch: 40 Jaar.
Chris and Laurika have two children - Simon and Nina, and five grandchildren.
After the success of ‘Kinders van die wind’ and her ‘Debuut’-album, (as seen on Laurika's website album page https://laurikarauch.com/debuut-album/) the singer and songwriter Anton Goosen asked her in October 1979 to accompany him on a tour. At that time Goosen was also establishing a name for himself with his original Afrikaans music and his hit ‘Kruidjie-Roer-my-nie’. Before him it was often the case that German and other songs of foreign origin were translated and released in South Africa. Original local songwriters were few and far between.
Around this time the ‘grand dame’ of theatre, Taubie Kushlick, heard of Rauch. In 1980 she asked her for an audition as she was looking for somebody to interpret the music of the Belgian songwriter Jacques Brel in a new production with Ann Hamblin and Ferdie Uphof. Kushlick quickly decided that this "boeremeisie" (Afrikaner girl)– as she called Rauch – was the appropriate choice for her new production, ‘Encore! Brel’. It was a great success and played for six months in the Chelsea Theatre in Hillbrow. An ensuing production, ‘The Best of Brel’, followed in 1983.
In 1981 she was also in the cast of ‘Met permissie gesê’, written by Hennie Aucamp. The show was the first Afrikaans cabaret with Janice Honeyman as director and people such as Amanda Strydom, Rina Nienaber, Gerben Kamper and Bill Curry in the cast, it was a form of "civilised protest" against the government of the day.
In 1984, English-speaking husband, Christopher Torr, wrote a song in English about the bank robber André Stander, who had obtained almost legendary notoriety in South Africa. The song was never recorded or performed.
When somebody gave Rauch a cassette recording of the music of the Udo Jürgens, she didn't listen to it at first, choosing to focus on original Afrikaans material, rather than translating foreign songs. Torr began listening to the German songs, and without knowing what the German meant, wrote Afrikaans words for one of the songs which was eventually recorded and released as one of Rauch's greatest hits –‘Op Blouberg se strand’. Torr still provides much of Rauch's most successful material.
Rauch has put quite a few poems to music and recorded them, such as Nalekokers and Niks hang so rooi soos wingerdblaar by Hexrivier by Boerneef, Ballade vir ‘n koningsdogter by ID du Plessis and Windliedjie and Toemaar die donker man by Ingrid Jonker.
Rauch received a ‘Sarie’ award in 1980 as most promising singer. She was the first recipient of a medal of honour awarded by the ‘South African Academy for Arts and Science’ for her contribution to light Afrikaans music in 1997. In 2006 ‘Huisgenoot Skouspel’ crowned her with an award for her lifelong achievement.
‘Van Berlyn tot Bapsfontein’, together with Jannie du Toit in 1988, was another highlight for her. Stephan Bouwer was the director of this singular production. She took part in Huisgenoot Skouspel in 2000 for the first time, with further performances in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 en 2009. She was also involved in the ‘Huisgenoot's Kaapse Jol’ in 2007, and ‘Skouspel Plus' in 2009 and 2010. There were various overseas performances, amongst them a concert tour to Belgium in 1985 (a documentary for television was also made during this tour), performances in the Netherlands in 1993 and 1994, three performances in London (2002–2004) at the Ukkasie festival, two performances in Prague (1997 and 1998) and a performance in Antwerp in 2006.
‘Samekoms/Kopano’ with Vusi Mahlasela in 1998/99 is another high point of her career. Rauch was producer and singer, and Deon Opperman the director.
In 2011 her husband, Christopher Torr, completed the musical theatre piece, Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux, and sold-out runs at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria, the Artscape in the Cape, Emperor's Palace in Johannesburg and the Sand du Plessis theatre in Bloemfontein, were completed at the end of July. Her most popular songs were used in the production, and Rauch also sang and acted in the show. The musical, with a cast of 12 actor/singers, surpassed all expectations – artistically and at the box office.
In 2016 she was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga for "her outstanding contribution in the field of music and raising awareness on political injustices through music."[2]
‘Debuut’ (1979), ‘ ’n Jaar in my lewe’ (1980), ‘Vir Jou’ (1981), ‘Jy is te dierbaar’ (1983) ‘Laurika op versoek’ (1985) and ‘Encore! Laurika’ (1988):
These vinyl albums provided some of Rauch's greatest hits. Anton Goosen still provided many of the compositions on Debuut, with songs such as ‘Neanderdalman’ and ‘Vergeet om my te vergeet/onthou om te onthou’. Kupido, who would later achieve fame as a country singer, provided ‘Jy is te dierbaar’ and ‘Lied van die natuur’ on the 1983 album ‘Jy is te dierbaar’.With ‘Encore!Laurika’ Chris Torr emerged on the scene as a songwriter with tracks such as ‘Miekie’ and ‘Die ballade van Jakob F de Beer’. It was actually ‘Op Blouberg se strand’ – his translation of the Udo Jürgens song – that was particularly popular with the public.
'Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux’ (1990), ‘Die gang’ (1992) and afterwards:
'Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux’ was her first Afrikaans album to reach platinum status, and it was the first female Afrikaans album ever to appear in South Africa as a CD. Chris Torr provided the title track about the legendary rugby player Mannetjies Roux.Die gang was the first album that Rauch released in the name of her own record company, ‘Laurika Rauch Productions’.The gripping title track of the ‘Hot Gates’ album of 1995 was also one of Torr's compositions. It remains one of Rauch's greatest hits. Rauch received a SAMA for this album. With The Brel Album (1997) she returned to her roots as a great interpreter of the music of Jacques Brel.
Although there have been other successful greatest hits compilations, her ‘19 Treffers van 21 jaar’ (1999) was a collection spanning more than 20 years of her career. This compilation has obtained double platinum status with sales of more than 120 000 and remains a good seller.
Gian Groen provided the title track of Vier Seisoene Kind (2002) and it remains one of her most popular songs.My ou tante Koba (2004) was nominated for a SAMA. On her album Tweeduisend-en-tien! (2010), she performs a duet with Kurt Darren (‘Slang in die gras’) and the Robbie Wessels song Skouspel 2010, about a baboon that creates chaos in a hotel room, provides comic relief with the aid of baboon sounds provided by the musician Leon Ecroignard.Her first full-length DVD of a performance, with Deon de Bruyn as director and Louis Brittz as musical director, appeared in 2006. The title is LAURIKA RAUCH: Grootste treffers LIVE.
Including compilations of her greatest hits, Rauch has released 22 albums.
Laurika directs and compiles most of her solo performances, and has also been involved in the productions of other singers such as:
| 1992 | Neem kennis (In the Rendezvous of the State Theatre) with Helena Hettema, Danie Niehaus en Illse Roos. | |
| 1992 | Fm Blues (In the Momentum of the State Theatre) with Coenie de Villiers. | |
| 1998 | Padlangs, with Karla du Plessis, Fanie Fouché and Dawie Nolte. | |
| 1998/1999 | Drie van die Bestes/Three of the Best – Millennium (Director, together with Gerrie Jamneck)(Mathys Roets, Danie Niehaus, Kevin Leo) | |
| 1998 | Vocal director for the Karla du Plessis debut album, Woordeloos | |
| 1999 | Neem Kennis 2 (Cindy Sampson, Philip Moolman, Wouter van de Venter)(This was a work commissioned by the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees 1999, based on the Neem Kennis-concept of 1992 | |
| 2001 | Vocal director for Janita Claassen's Wilde Aalwyn album released in August 2001. | |
| 2006 | Blou kafee - for Illse Roos's performance at the KKNK | |
| 2008 | Compiled and directed the production of Laurika en Nuwe Vriende at the Centurion Theatre. Artists who appeared with Laurika were Ansujé, La Diva, ‘n Man soos Jan, Jaco and Andriëtte. |
| 1977 | Fangs Directed by Ken Leach; PACT. | |||
| 1978 | The Bedsitting Room Directed by Nigel Vermaas: Market Theatre | |||
| 1980 | Encore! Brel For Taubie Kushlick, at the Chelsea Theatre | |||
| 1980 | Performed with Donald Swann (of Flanders and Swann-fame); the Soweto Teacher's Choir; Mara Louw and Will Bernard in an evening with Donald Swann, his own music and his musical compositions of Van Wyk Louw poems. | |||
| 1981 | Met Permissie Gesê Directed by Janice Honeymon; Market Theatre | |||
| 1984 | Took part in a programme about Koos du Plessis's music with Jana Cilliers, Lucas Maree and Nic Taylor | |||
| 1983/84 | The Best of Brel | |||
| 1987 en 1995 | Performance at Grahamstown Festival | |||
| 1988 | Van Berlyn tot Bapsfontein, with Jannie du Toit Directed by Stephan Bouwer | |||
| 1990 | Op die Hartstog Boulevard, with Jannie du Toit Directed by Stephan Bouwer | |||
| 1990 | Laurika op nagskof, with Phillip Moolman Directed by Ilse van Hemert | |||
| 1990 | Hoagy, with Lisa Michaelson and David Dennis for Pieter Toerien. Directed by Jimmy Bell. | |||
| 1993 | Performed with the Metropole Orchestra in Utrecht at a Christmas Concert in front of an audience of 13 000 | |||
| 1994 | Performed in Bussum, Netherlands during a South African week. | |||
| 1994 | Laurika sings Brel | |||
| 1996 | Laurika sings with the TFO | |||
| 1996 | She participates in the Human Rights Concert. Directed by Victor Masondo | |||
| 1996 | Elize en Laurika maak nuus, with Elize Cawood. Directed by Wilson Dunster | |||
| 1997 | Performs with Fanie Fouché as accompanist in Prague at the Department of Neerlandistiek’s 75th Jubilee festival. | |||
| 1998/99 | Samekoms/Kompano, with Vusi Mahlasela. Directed by Deon Opperman | |||
| 2000-2002 | Laurika en Orkes. Directed by Deon Opperman | |||
| 2001-03; 2006–09; 2012-13 | Huisgenoot Skouspel, at the Super Bowl in Sun City. | |||
| 2002 | Ons Kruis Paaie, with Stef Bos, David Kramer, Taliep Pietersen, Denise Jannah, Frank Boeijen, Koos Kombuis and Ray Phiri. Directed by Stef Bos | |||
| 2002 | Laurika in die Staatsteater | |||
| 2002 – 2004 | 3 x Ukkasie shows in Londen: Stevenage, Wembley stadium and The Royal Albert Hall. | |||
| 2002 | Sarie Inspirasiekonserte with Karen Zoid, Lize Beekman, Amanda Strydom en Valiant Swart. | |||
| 2002 | Laurika en die manne at the Volksbladfees. | |||
| 2003 | Woordfees with Laurinda Hofmeyr, Valiant Swart, Albert Frost, Schalk Joubert and Barry van Zyl. | |||
| 2003 - 2004 | Produces three music videos: Kom laat ons sing; Vier seisoene kind; My ou tante Koba Directed by Deon de Bruyn | |||
| 2003 | Balkon with Leon Ecroignard, Wouter van de Venter, Jahn Beukes and Clinton Waring at the KKNK. | |||
| 2003 | Solo performance at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town. | |||
| 2003 | Performances at in Sangita and White River Barnyards. | |||
| 2003 | WAM-fees with Cutt Glas, Sibongile Khumalo, Jennifer Jones, Isadora Verwey. | |||
| 2004 | Droomstoel Directed by Deon Opperman | |||
| 2004 | Naderby at the Aardklopfees. Directed by Johan Badenhorst. | |||
| 2005 | Plakboek, with Amanda Strydom. | |||
| 2005 | Performance at the Grey College Choir Festival | |||
| 2006 | Performs at Roetesfestival in Antwerpen. | |||
| 2006 | Performance with the Ekurhuleni Children’s Choir | |||
| 2005/6 | Produces her full length DVD: Grootste Treffers LIVE! | |||
| 2007 | Performance at the KKNK and sings Weeping with the die Bala-brothers. | |||
| 2007 | Performance at Aardpops, by Aardklop Kunstefees under the direction of Graham Scott and Janine Neethling. | |||
| 2007 | Solo performance with Clinton Waring in die KWV Cathedral Cellar. | |||
| 2008 | Performance at Carnival City Pops | |||
| 2008 | Performance Deuriemikke Karnaval at Loftus Stadium. | |||
| 2009 | Kurt Darren en Laurika Rauch saam, for the Volksbladfees. | |||
| 2009 | Performs with the UPSO in die Aula. | |||
| 2009 | Performs at Huisgenoot Skouspel Plus at the Grand West Casino. | |||
| 2009 | L2 with Lize Beekman | |||
| 2010 | Sings at the occasion of the opening of Parliament in Cape Town. The evening – at the new Cape Town Stadium was a highlight of her career for Laurika. | |||
| 2010 | Sings in Afri-Frans with Anna Davel, Myra Maud, Mathys Roets and Anna-Mart van der Merwe. | |||
| 2010 | Brel in Brooklyn with Jannie du Toit. Directed by Esther Nasser. | |||
| 2011 | Sings Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux at Loftus in front of an audience of 60 000 people. | |||
| 2011 | Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux, a musical that toured from Pretoria to Cape Town. Directed by Paul Eilers and Clinton Zerf as the musical director. | |||
| 2012 | Laurika en Vriende, with Jak de Priester en Brandon October. | |||
| 2013 | Dorothy 60 Jaar at the KKNK, a musical production, with Karen Zoid, Dorothy Masuka and Zolani Mahola from Freshleyground with Carien Loubser as director. | |||
| 2013 | Performs in Brisbane, Auckland, Melbourne and Perth | |||
| 2014 | Performs at the Paul Clover Amphi Theatre | |||
| 2014 | Produce two music videos with Clinton Lubbe as director: As ek eendag oud is; Murg en Been. | |||
| 2014 | Performs at Starlight Classics | |||
| 2014 | Performs at Klein Karoo Pops | |||
| 2014 | Performs at the Woordfees: Liedjies vir alle tye | |||
| 2014 | Performs at RSG/LEFRA Oppiwater Kunstefees | |||
| 2014 | Hart en See with Elvis Blue at KKNK and Vryfees | |||
| 2014 | Guest on Republiek van Zoid Afrika. | |||
| 2014 | Performs at Innibos festival with Liedjies vir alle tye. | |||
| 2014 | Laurika sings with other artists for Hennie Smit, veteran comedian and actor after a bout of life threatening illness. Arina de Witt is the organizer. | |||
| 2015 | Hart en See performance at Die Woordfees and Innibosfees | |||
| 2015 | Performs at Legends-show at Innibos Festival. | |||
| 2015 | Tallard and the Ladderbird at the Sax Arena in Centurion. | |||
| 2015 | Nie as ek sing nie, at Aardklop Festival. | |||
| 2015 | Performs with the Bloemfontein Children's Choir. | |||
| 2015 | Performs at Afrikaans is Groot. | |||
| 2015 | Bravo-performance in Mossel Bay with Clinton Waring. | |||
| 2016 | Nie as ek sing nie, at the Taalmonument in Paarl. | |||
| 2016 | Manna vir die Boere - concert | |||
| 2016 | Performs at Woordfees Pops | |||
| 2016 | Nie as ek sing nie at KKNK | |||
| 2016 | Hart en See at the Suid-Ooster Festival in the Artscape Theatre. | |||
| 2016 | Nie as ek sing nie, at the Parkview Barnyard Theatre. | |||
| 2016 | Performs at Afrikaans is Groot | |||
| 2017 | Performs with Loki Rothman at Jason’s Hill Wine Estate. | |||
| 2017 | Blou with Loki Rothman at the Woordfees, Atterbury Theatre, Free State Festival and Aardklop Festival. | |||
| 2017 | Met liefde at the Grandwest Arena | |||
| 2017 | Performs at Liefde by die Dam | |||
| 2017 | Performs at Stars for Charity at Emperors Palace | |||
| 2017 | Performs at Afrikaans is Groot | |||
| 2018 | Blou with Loki Rothman, at Oude Libertas Amiphi Theatre. | |||
| 2018 | Digby my hart with Anton Esterhuyse at the Woordfees. | |||
| 2018 | Blou with Loki Rothman at KKNK | |||
| 2018 | Performs at the Freedom day Concert at the Suidoosterfees. | |||
| 2018 | Laurika in konsert in Atterbury Theatre, Pretoria. | |||
| 2018 | Blou, with Loki Rothman at Innibos Festival. | |||
| 2018 | Performs with Loki Rothman at Spar Kirkwood Wildsfees. | |||
| 2018 | Festival Voor het Afrikaans, Amsterdam, Netherlands. | |||
| 2019 | Several Optog! performances across South Africa. |
She married Christopher Torr in 1984. At the time he was a lecturer in economics (later to become a professor). They have two children, Simon and Nina and five grandchildren.
https://maroelamedia.co.za/vermaak/musiek/laurika-rauch-die-musiek-ma-van-ons-menswees/https://laurikarauch.com/