Nico Carstens

Nico Carstens was in the forefront from the jazz-inspired South African music custom of Boeremusiek, subsequently renamed Afrikwela. Known in his homeland as the Boeremusiek Ruler, Carstens and his group, the Boire Qanga Music group, attracted international interest if they performed the Boeremusiek-mbaqanga music “Viva Madibe,” by previous jazz restauranteur Henry Shields and Morris Goldberg, at Chief executive Nelson Mandela’s inauguration gala. Carstens’ first success arrived in 1963 when he co-wrote the music “Hit It Affluent” with Anton De Waal. His compositions had been subsequently included in Acker Bilk, Bert Kaempfert, the Shadows, Wayne Last, Chet Atkins, and Floyd Cramer. Carstens also documented using the Springbok Nude Women.