Nico Carstens
Encyclopedia
Nicolaas Cornelius Carstens is a South Africa
n accordion
ist and songwriter.
Born in Cape Town
of Dutch parents, Carstens got his first accordion at the age of 13 and won an adult music competition six months later. He composed his first music piece at the age of 17 and has written approximately 1200 songs.
His most famous song "Zambezi" became a world hit and was recorded by artists such as Eddie Calvert
, Acker Bilk, Bert Kaempfert
, The Shadows
, James Last
, Chet Atkins
, Floyd Cramer
and Johnny Dankworth
. Other compositions were recorded by Horst Wende
, Henri René
, Geoff Love
and bands in Australia, Italy and Poland.
Nico writes and performs music which spans the various cultures of South Africa. He draws inspiration from various sources, including Cape Malay, Black Township and indigenous South African sounds and combines them to form a unique Carstens sound.
Songs from his hand are:
Aap Setties, Boerenooi, Boma Boma; Kombuis Kwela, Brakpan Kwela, Brakpan Setties,
Casablanca, Die Ou Kalahari, Die Springbok Kwela, Die Wolf Kwela, Geenfonteinse Vastrap,
Gertjie Wintervoël, Goue Tango, Goue Vingers, Grandma Dooley, Hasie, Helena Cha-Cha,
Helena Tango, Herd Boy/ Veewagter, Mpi Zulu, Jampot Polka, Jazz-A-Roo, Jy's My Hart, Kariba, Katjiepieringwals, Kersfees Wals, Klokkiewals, Lente In Switzerland, Luanda, Meadowlands, Meerkat Samba, Mimosa Cha-Cha, Nader Aan Jou, Net Jy Alleen, Nico Se Wysie, Outa In Die Langpad, Pasop Vir Die Maan, Pondoland, Quietude, Ressano Garcia, Riksja Booi, Shirley Wals, Skoppelmaai, Skuus Bietjie Hier, Soetpatatta, Umfaan, Vaalpens Polka, Voom-Ba-Voom, Wag ´n Bietjie, Warm Patat, Zambezi
)
Since forming his own band at age 24, Nico has recorded over 90 albums which have sold over 2 million copies in South Africa
. He has performed all over South Africa, Namibia
, Mozambique
, Zimbabwe
and Botswana
as well as at the Nantes Festival in France and he appeared on Musikantenstadl for ORF in 1997.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist and songwriter.
Born in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
of Dutch parents, Carstens got his first accordion at the age of 13 and won an adult music competition six months later. He composed his first music piece at the age of 17 and has written approximately 1200 songs.
His most famous song "Zambezi" became a world hit and was recorded by artists such as Eddie Calvert
Eddie Calvert
Eddie Calvert was an English trumpeter, who enjoyed his greatest successes in the 1950s. Calvert had his first United Kingdom, number one instrumental single in 1954, with "Oh Mein Papa".-Biography:...
, Acker Bilk, Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records, and wrote the music for a number of well-known songs, such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Spanish Eyes".-Biography:He was born in Hamburg, Germany - where he received his lifelong...
, The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
, James Last
James Last
James Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...
, Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
and Johnny Dankworth
John Dankworth
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE , known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist...
. Other compositions were recorded by Horst Wende
Horst Wende
Horst Wende was a German bandleader, arranger and composer. He made easy-listening records under his own name as well as under the name Roberto Delgado...
, Henri René
Henri René
Henri René was an American-born German producer, conductor and arranger. René mother's was German and his father French; while young, his family moved to Germany, and René studied at the Royal Berlin Academy of Music. Returning to the U.S. in the mid 1920s, he began appearing with several...
, Geoff Love
Geoff Love
Geoff Love was a British easy-listening, and disco orchestra leader. He was born in the industrial town of Todmorden in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His father was a mixed race American-born guitarist and dancer, and his mother an actress. As a child, Love began to learn to play the violin but...
and bands in Australia, Italy and Poland.
Nico writes and performs music which spans the various cultures of South Africa. He draws inspiration from various sources, including Cape Malay, Black Township and indigenous South African sounds and combines them to form a unique Carstens sound.
Songs from his hand are:
Aap Setties, Boerenooi, Boma Boma; Kombuis Kwela, Brakpan Kwela, Brakpan Setties,
Casablanca, Die Ou Kalahari, Die Springbok Kwela, Die Wolf Kwela, Geenfonteinse Vastrap,
Gertjie Wintervoël, Goue Tango, Goue Vingers, Grandma Dooley, Hasie, Helena Cha-Cha,
Helena Tango, Herd Boy/ Veewagter, Mpi Zulu, Jampot Polka, Jazz-A-Roo, Jy's My Hart, Kariba, Katjiepieringwals, Kersfees Wals, Klokkiewals, Lente In Switzerland, Luanda, Meadowlands, Meerkat Samba, Mimosa Cha-Cha, Nader Aan Jou, Net Jy Alleen, Nico Se Wysie, Outa In Die Langpad, Pasop Vir Die Maan, Pondoland, Quietude, Ressano Garcia, Riksja Booi, Shirley Wals, Skoppelmaai, Skuus Bietjie Hier, Soetpatatta, Umfaan, Vaalpens Polka, Voom-Ba-Voom, Wag ´n Bietjie, Warm Patat, Zambezi
Compositions
Nico Carstens has been a prolific composer. A significant number of his compositions were done with the help of his long time business associate Anton de Waal (a.k.a. George Charles Gunn).- Heartbreaking Waltz - words & music by Anton de Waal & Nico Carstens
- Hasie - words & music by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal
- Kiewiet - words & music by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal
- Kwela-Kwela - by Nico Carstens, Charles Segal, Viv Styger & Anton de Waal, English lyrics by Geoffrey North
- Little Bell - words & music by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal
- Ring on Little Bell - words and music by Anton de Waal & Nico Carstens
- Rosie (must you wear your skirts so short?) - music by Anton de Waal & Nico Carstens, words by Ben Raleigh & Guy Wood**
- Strike it Rich (from the film, Kimberly Jim) - words & music by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal
- Wha Chi Bam Ba - music by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal
- Wilde Klein Bokkie (a.k.a Cruising) - words and muisc by Nico Carstens, Louis Combrinck & Anton de Waal
- Zambezi - instrumental by Nico Carstens & Anton de Waal, words added later by Bob HilliardBob HilliardBob Hilliard was an American lyricist. He wrote the words for the songs; "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", "Any Day Now", "Dear Hearts and Gentle People", "Our Day Will Come", "My Little Corner of the World", and "Seven Little Girls ".-Career:Born in New York City, New York, and after...
Discography
(See Discography of Nico CarstensDiscography of Nico Carstens
-Capitol of the World Series:* 1957 Capitol of the World Series T10075 , Boeremusiek-Columbia:* 19?? Columbia SSA 218, Fanagalo , Peterson Brothers with Nico Carstens...
)
Since forming his own band at age 24, Nico has recorded over 90 albums which have sold over 2 million copies in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He has performed all over South Africa, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
as well as at the Nantes Festival in France and he appeared on Musikantenstadl for ORF in 1997.