Verspreide Donderbuie/ Scattered Thunder
BY BRIAN CURRIN

Amanda Strydom is a lady of many styles and genres. She's a diva, a folk-singer, a torch-singer and a rock 'n rollin' bitch. Amanda's album has a biligual title, and has 2 completely different title tracks, not just the same song sung with alternative lyrics. Amanda writes and sings in both English and Afrikaans and there are even a few Zulu phrases thrown in to give an African feel.

'Verspreide Donderbuie' (the opening song of the album) documents a road trip from Joburg to Cape Town with amazingly evocative images. "Die pad verander stadig / in 'n gladde silwer slang". Musical references to The Doors 'Riders On The Storm' abound, with stunning piano from arranger and co-composer Janine Neethling. And Juan (Floors) Oosthuizen roars out with short jabs of highway star guitar. Vinnie Henrico's drums pound into your head and Graham Currie's bass captures the heart. And this is just the first song. Play it again, it's that good. 

 'Doekvoet' is a very angry song which moves to a marching beat with backing vocals by Cutt Glas. "Hit the woman, rape the child/ Niemand word gestraf"... and there's that guitar again. Awesome.

Miss Strydom is also very upset with Johannes Kerkorrel. "Jy was selfsugtig, jy was wreed, jy sê: Miss Mandy, sny die brood" Her song for Ralph Rabie, 'Ek Het Gedroom' will tear your heart out if you are not careful. She also does a cover of JK's 'Hoe Ek Voel'.

There a few other cover versions on this CD; a lovely version of Leonard Cohen's 'Take This Waltz', 'Sondag In Soweto' by Stef Bos and a truly excellent jazz-blues version of Rodriguez's 'Rich Folk Hoax'. Graham Currie

played bass on the Sugarman's 1998 SA tour and his love for the man and his songs overflows in his bass-playing on this new version.

The rock and roll bitch comment in the opening paragraph might have got you confused, but one listen to 'Engel Met 'n Angel' (Angel with a Sting) will have you convinced. "Verslaaf aan rock 'n roll en aan nicotien... Sy ry te vinnig vir my". Amanda rocks, ok!

The closing track 'Ndiyakholelwa / Ek Glo' features the voices of the Afrika Mamas and lyrics that Roger Waters would be proud of, if he could write in Afrikaans: "Ek glo in Rock and Roll en skaapjops... ek glo in God  en al haar wonders".

This is an angry album, a sad album, a happy album, but most of all this is album by a woman who knows herself and her craft and is not afraid to let us into her world. She loves her man, her country and her music... and it shows.