Tribute to Taliep Petersen (1950 – 2006) – Cape Town Misses You!
Portrait by artist Michaelangelo Abrahams 16 th December 2014 marks 8 years since the tragic death of Cape Town’s most loved theatre legend, Taliep Petersen. Most of us remember Taliep’s musical presence from his collaborations with David Kramer - their most popular ones being District Six the musical , Poison , Kat & the Kings and Ghoema. If you were born before my time, you may also recall Carnival a la District Six and his 1980s band called ‘Sapphyre’ which Taliep created to showcase interpretations of traditional Cape Malay and Klopse songs. Or if you grew up with M-net in the house (unlike me), you must’ve seen his popular TV sitcom Alie Barber that was aired round about 2001. The Kramer Petersen Songbook was later created by Kramer after Taliep’s death, as a tribute to him and their 20-year partnership. Songbook showcased a collection of popular songs from the musicals they’ve written together. (Buy your personal copy of Ghoema , District Six the musical