Ouens vannie Plain bringing sexy Afrikaans back
Allie Kinnes is the title of a song set to be released by a Mitchell’s Plain trio who go by the name Ouens Vannie Plain or OVD for short.
Long-time friends Quinten Swartz aka Q-Rock, Von D Kemp and Akeem Gambino better known as Uncle Kim, got together in Gambino’s home studio in Portland, to record the song.
The lyrics of the track are mostly written in Cape-style Afrikaans but has a global dance appeal.
It’s a catchy tune, guaranteed to get stuck in your head and have you mumbling the chorus all day. By all accounts, they might just have a hit on their hands as this track, the first of a number of similar songs in the pipeline, has what party lovers would call a vibe.
Just what’s needed to warm the soul during those cold winter days, at family gatherings, special occasions or wherever people are looking to have a good time, says Uncle Kim, the OG of the crew.
“People should feel good and vibing to the song; who knows, it might even be the best new Afrikaans song,” he jokingly said.
Of course, he knows what he’s talking about when mentioning people having a good time through music -he’s been at it for most of his life, performing all over the country with various outfits.
This is hardly surprising, as he grew up in a musical family, his father, Anwar Gambino, who died in March, was a popular figure on the Cape Malay Choir and Klopse scene and helped nurture his son’s passion for music from an early age. Anybody who knows the family, knows the Gambinos love music.
Originally written in the 90s by a friend, Mervyn Moses, Allie Kinnes has an old-skool R&B sound with a new-school twist. It’s the kind of song that sounds like you might've heard it before, at house parties and family braais but with a modern flavour that millennials can relate to.
“We’re bringing sexy back to Afrikaans,” said Gambino, who has spent the better part of the last 20 years in Durban, performing with cover bands on the night club circuit and where he co-wrote the party anthem We’re Going Up And Down.
A fan of all genres, including hip-hop, Gambino said Allie Kinnes is the perfect antidote to some of the hardcore and aggressive stuff out there. “It’s a fun song, it’s a happy song, it’s sexy Afrikaans” he said.
Baby of the bunch, popular TikTok star Von D, agrees, calling the song a “lekker Afrikaans sexy R&b vibe.”
The social media influencer came on board through Q Rock who introduced him to Gambino and voila, OVD was born. At the weekend, Von D, from Westridge, along with the rest of the OVD crew, was out at Zanzibar Hair and Beauty Salon in Rocklands, the perfect location to shoot the video for their song.
“It's about women that sweep guys off their feet,” he replied when asked what the song is all about. We sing it in our home language, Cape slang, so that everyone can relate to what we’re singing about.,” he said.
Although the youngest crew member, Von D has already earned himself a reputation as a TikTokker of note having won last year's TikTok TV Award as the first South African to create a TV show on the popular platform.
“My goal is also to create opportunity and to give back to my community,” he said.
Swartz, from Lentegeur, said getting in on the act was a no-brainer. “Uncle Kim called me up and told me about the project,” he said. “I just jumped in because I knew what he was putting out was going to be a banger.”
“All we had to do was spice up the song with fresh vocals and rewrite some of the lyrics with a new swing,” said Swartz, who is a well-travelled musical journeyman, famous for his Ragga Muffin-style of delivery.
Allie Kinnes will be available on all platforms he said, encouraging fans to vote in numbers for the song to get playlisted on local radio stations upon its release.
For more information, call 074 459 4680 or email q-entertainment@gmail.com or visit the OVD Facebook page.
