Oppikoppi

Oppikoppi

Oppikoppi from the top
Location(s)	Northam, South Africa
Years active	Since 1994
Date(s)	August
Genre	Multiple - rock, jazz, house, acoustic, world music, comedy, more
Website	http://www.oppikoppi.co.za

Oppikoppi is the name of a music festival held in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, near the mining town of Northam. The festival started off focusing mostly on rock music, but gradually added more genres and now plays host to a complete mixed bag of genres. Anything from jazz, world music, house music, acoustic, comedy and all else in between can be heard on one of the multiple stages. Each year in August thousands of people flock to the farm to camp out in the bush and enjoy the music. The festival features mostly South African bands, although international acts are included in the mix.

Setting

Oppikoppi is a colloquial abbreviation of the Afrikaans phrase "op die koppie", which literally means "on the hill". The camping area is at the foot of a hill, on top of which is a bar and the Sipho Gumede stage. This stage features all the hip hop and dance acts, while the main Oppikoppi stage features all of the big acts and most of the rock.

History

The festival started in 1994, with 27 local talents performing to a small crowd of enthusiasts. It has since grown substantially, with the addition of many new stages and thousands of people turning up each year. The festival is regarded by some as the primary influence in jump-starting the South African rock music movement in the late 90's. It has attracted anything from 5,000 to 15,000 people.

According to their organizers they have "rolled bakkies, burnt tents, driven over knees, slept in jails, slept outside jails and turned over several stones to make gigs and festivals work."

Acts and genres

The festival hosts a wide array of acts, with artists being booked from genres such as: rock, hip hop, hardcore, punk, ska, folk, blues, drum ‘n bass, big beats, funk, kwaito, jazz, traditional, world music and other genres.

In addition to the annual festival in August of every year, the festival also hosts a smaller, more intimate gathering on each Easter weekend in April, focusing mostly on rock and jazz. In the past there has also been New Year's gatherings.

Names of the festivals

Each Oppikoppi, big or small, has had a different name and theme.

August festivals

• 1995 Festival of Rock 1
• 1996 Festival of Rock 2
• 1997 One Big Bang
• 1998 Bushveld Blast
• 1999 Infestation
• 2000 Trek 2000
• 2001 Tuned
• 2002 Plunge
• 2003 Hond uit 'n Box
• 2004 Oppikoppi 10: Blood is thicker than Soda Water
• 2005 Wired
• 2006 Rock, Paper, Scissors
• 2007 Way Of The Dassie
• 2008 Wildcard
• 2009 Smoorverlief
• 2010 sExY. cRoOkEd. tEeTh
• 2011 Unknown Brother

Easter festivals

• 1998 African Savannas Easter
• 1999 Ontlont!
• 2000 How's Your Mother?
• 2001 Patrolliehond
• 2002 Willie Smit
• 2003 If Not Tomorrow, Then The Next Day
• 2004 Oppikoppi 10: You Check The Level, The Level Is Fine With Me
• 2005 Dust On My Meerkat
• 2006 Haat My Want Ek Vrees My Hasie
• 2007 More Than Somewhat
• 2008 VMMIJDKWMKAHOID’nAPMWEMP
• 2009 Strictly Come Twakkie (Not quite Easter festival)

Other

• 1995 (New Years) New Year's Bushveld Jol
• 1996 (New Years) Moerrit Boetie New Year's Jol
• 1997 (New Years) Inni Tanne New Year's Jol
• 2003 (November) Beetroot (held at the Pretoria Showgrounds)

Notable bands and artists

The following bands/artists have played at Oppikoppi:

• 340ml^[1]
• African Dope Records
• Albert Frost
• The Arrows
• Ashton Nyte
• The Awakening
• Bacchus Nel
• Battery 9
• Bed on Bricks^[1]
• Beef!
• Billy Talent^[2]
• BLK Sonshine
• Blues Broers
• Blunted Stuntman
• Boo!^[1]
• Brasse van die Kaap
• Brixton Moord en Roof Orkes
• C-Mon & Kypski
• Chris Letcher
• Cutting Jade^[1]
• Dan Patlansky
• Desmond and the Tutus
• Die Antwoord
• Die Heuwels Fantasties^[2]
• Dirty Skirts
• DJ T
• DJ Jon Monsoon
• DJ Fokolnonsins
• Dorp
• Duck & Cover
• Fokofpolisiekar^[1]
• Frank Opperman
• Fuzigish
• Gemma Ray^[2]
• Gito Baloi
• Goldfish
• Greg Georgiades & Ashish Joshi
• Groove Armada
• Guy Buttery
• Harris Tweed
• Heideroosjes
• Honeymoon Suites
• Jack Parow^[2]
• Jimmy Eat World
• Josie Field
• Karen Zoid^[1]
• Kobus
• Koos Kombuis
• Leek
• Lithium
• Matthew van der Want
• Menage a tois
• The Narrow^[1][2]
• New Academics
• New Porn
• Not My Dog
• The Parlotones
• Pestroy^[1]
• Plum
• Prime Circle^[1]
• Riku Latti
• Roger Goode
• Slugs of War
• Soulwax
• Springbok Nude Girls^[1]
• Stanton Warriors
• Steve Newman
• Stoff
• Strings & Skins
• Sum 41
• Syd Kitchen
• Taxi Violence
• Tidal Waves^[1]
• The Used
• Valiant Swart
• Violent Femmes
• Wolraad Woltemade (Band)
• Wonderboom (band)
• YoungBlood Brass Band
• Zebra & Giraffe^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} "Oppikoppi 2004". www.songkick.com. http://www.songkick.com/festivals/44116-oppikoppi/id/3832851-oppikoppi-2004/schedule. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Oppikoppi "Sexy Crooked Teeth"". KadmusArts. http://www.kadmusarts.com/festivals/4881.html. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 

External links

South Africa portal

• Oppikoppi's Homepage
• Oppikoppi 2006 review by Jackie Bischof, The Citizen, August 2006
• Oppikoppi on Google Earth Community
• A full 360 shot from the 206 stage
• About Oppikoppi Productions
• Oppikoppi Productions Contact Details
• Oppikoppi Productions News

Coordinates: 24°53′02″S 27°08′10″E / 24.88389°S 27.13611°E / -24.88389; 27.13611