You do not appreciate my music, so au revoir, says musician
South Africans do not appreciate electronic music, says DJ and actor Andre Frauenstein who is leaving this country for good. He will focus on building his international music career from his new base, Switzerland.
South Africa’s golden movie star, our very own James Dean, is emigrating to Switzerland.
Andre Frauenstein (30), who made his acting debut in South Africa’s first vampire movie, Eternity, had been leaving, as in the words of songwriter, John Denver, on a (jet) plane last Saturday.
Many South Africans will recognise him from his roles in Afrikaans movies Stilte, Ek lief jou and Treurgrond, but Frauenstein is better known internationally for his electronic music.
He said he was emigrating because South Africans did not appreciate his music.
The hunk from Centurion, dubbed South Africa’s James Dean, said: “It would be better for my musical career,” adding that South Africa lacked musical appreciation, especially “of my genre”.
“Another big thing for me was that I have been through so much in this country – family members murdered, hijacked uncountable times, and constantly living in fear and in the dark.”
“I just feel that one should not have to live or spend one’s life like that. I feel we have grown too accustomed to and accepted this reality, that it has become part of our daily lives when it should not be,” he said.
Frauenstein joins a list of artists, such as Seether, who have left South Africa for greener pastures abroad.
“Perhaps it has to do with our history; South Africa banned records and art that was declared unacceptable,” he said.
He said he chose to emigrate to Switzerland because it was peaceful there and in the middle of Europe. “My music is well known around Europe,” he said
He said he planned to set up a recording studio there before touring.
Fraunstein said he will miss his family. “I will visit as often as I can,” he said, “and return to shoot another movie if an opportunity [to do so] arises.”
“I will most definitely not miss load shedding, water shedding, crime, traffic, e-tolls, corruption, and of course the music scene,” he says.
– Watch his music videos and his movie trailers here:
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