Not your average pianist

Iréne-Mari van der Walt
South African pianist Rocco de Villiers delighted fans in the capital at the end of last week with two performances - which combined the musical talent, showmanship and cheeky sense of humour his supporters have come to love him for. Over the course of two hours, De Villiers shared his unique outlook on life with anecdotes of growing up in a small town in South Africa, his experiences as a travelling performer and several of his musical idols.
During his performance, he shared the inspiration behind the album title ‘Kortbroek, Lang Kouse’, declaring it as a reclaiming of his narrative. He noted that a group of boys, who habitually wore short trousers and socks pulled up high, bullied him throughout his school career and this inspired not only the album and song by that name, but also his outfit for the evening, with the entertainer donning a sparkly blazer with matching shorts and socks.