Hunter Kennedy, the sharp-tongued wordsmith behind South African rock stalwarts Fokofpolisiekar and Die Heuwels Fantasties, has traded his signature existential angst for something surprisingly tender. His latest single, “Waiting for Maria,” reveals a softer side of the artist who helped define alternative Afrikaans rock for over a decade.
The Cape Town-based musician’s transformation began in a local hospital waiting room, where fatherhood’s reality hit him like a bakkie on the N1. “I wrote the chorus sitting there after she was born,” Kennedy explains. “I realised I’d probably spend my life waiting for her – outside Wynberg Girls’ High, outside some house party in Stellenbosch, even on my deathbed.”
From existential to essential
Kennedy’s journey with longtime collaborator Fred Den Hartog (Die Heuwels Fantasties) spans a decade of tinkering with this deeply personal track. The duo, who’ve been fixtures in the local music scene since the early 2000s, initially crafted a pop-influenced version before stripping it back to its emotional core.
This creative pivot reflects Kennedy’s personal evolution. The artist known for biting social commentary and the kind of lyrical complexity that made Fokofpolisiekar legends at Oppikoppi has discovered beauty in simplicity. “It’s the most basic form – and somehow the most truthful,” he admits.
Local legend goes global
The shift represents a seismic change for an artist whose previous work dissected South African society with surgical precision. Now, exploring parenthood through a uniquely South African lens, Kennedy offers something universally relatable while remaining authentically local.
“Funnily enough, the song isn’t really about Maria,” he laughs with characteristic honesty. “It’s about what her arrival unlocked in me. Maybe she’ll get it when she has her own kids running around the braai someday.”
Beyond the music
“Waiting for Maria” captures those tender intervals familiar to any South African parent – waiting outside school gates, at sports practices, or during those precious quiet moments that define family life. Kennedy’s latest offering proves that even our most introspective artists can find profound meaning in life’s simplest, most beautiful responsibilities.
