Johannes Kerkorrel

Johannes Kerkorrel (real name Ralph Rabie) (1960-2002) was an Afrikaans singer-songwriter, journalist and playwright from South Africa.

Born in Johannesburg, Rabie worked as a journalist on the Afrikaans-language daily ne

Johannes Kerkorrel (real name Ralph Rabie) (1960-2002) was an Afrikaans singer-songwriter, journalist and playwright from South Africa.

Born in Johannesburg, Rabie worked as a journalist on the Afrikaans-language daily newspaper Rapport. In 1986, as apartheid reached its zenith under National Party (South Africa) President P. W. Botha, Rabie began performing political cabaret at arts festivals under the stage name Johannes Kerkorrel (kerkorrel is the Afrikaans word for church organ). In 1987 Rabie was fired by Rapport for using quotes from Botha's speeches in his music; he became a full-time musician and performer under the name Johannes Kerkorrel en die Gereformeerde Blues Band (Johannes Kerkorrel and the Reformed Blues Band - a deliberate reference to the Dutch Reformed Church, one of the bastions of the apartheid system). Johannes Kerkorrel en die Gereformeerde Blues Band also included the Afrikaans singer-songwriter Koos Kombuis (André Letoit).