Let’s get this out of the way – new The Voice SA coach Francois van Coke is partly famous for being in a band called Fokofpolisiekar. They were massively successful on the alternative rock scene – and also spawned the equally popular aKING, Die Heuwelsfantasties, and Van Coke Cartel – but Francois’s father, a pastor, and mother, asked him to change his surname (originally Badenhorst), because of the complaints they were receiving from the local church community.
Van Coke recalled to Channel24, "My mom cried for a day or two when she heard the name of the band." He used “Van Coke” randomly in a subsequent interview and the name stuck. (We’ll be referring to the band as Polisiekar or FPK for the rest of this piece.)
Weirdly, prior to forming early incarnations of the infamously-named outfit, van Coke created a Christian rock band called AS180. While it may have been more palatable to his parents, it clearly wasn’t a hit with the public.
With a career that stretches back to 2003, Polisiekar is still a legitimate concern. Despite the Bellville-based five-piece’s later solo and side-hustle work, they were performing and releasing music as recently as last year.
Francois first struck out on his own in 2007 with FPK bassist Wynand Myburgh as Van Coke Cartel. Their work garnered them multiple MK Awards, while the 2013 album ‘Bloed, Sweet & Trane’ earned them a South African Music Award for Best Rock Album, and the Ghoema for Best Album.
They also supported an array of international acts, including Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Chris Cornell, and Metallica.
In 2015, van Coke finally struck out as a solo star, and alongside former The Voice SA coach Karen Zoid released the single “Toe Vind Ek Jou”. The song and the self-titled album it was taken from made history, becoming the first Afrikaans music to top both the iTunes single and album charts. The duo’s video currently has over 7 million views on YouTube!
His second album, ‘Hierdie is die Lewe’ followed, and earned him another Ghoema Award. Francois, who loves collaborations, also released the ‘En Vriende’ EP in July 2018, showcasing his talent alongside the likes of Jack Parow, Die Heuwels Fantasties, Early B, and aKING’s Laudo Liebenberg.
But it’s van Coke’s forays into TV that have brought him to an even wider audience. In October 2018, Francois became part of the innovative Die Van Coke Show on kykNET (Mondays at 20:30).
In this quirky game show sans prizes, famous participants follow clues to guess which Afrikaans hit song Francois will cover with a rock & roll twist. The “mystery” song is released on digital platforms and the music video on YouTube each week.
Check out some of the highlights from season 1!
The success of this venture undoubtedly contributed to the decision to enlist him as a coach on The Voice SA.
Lastly, we’re relieved about the total #GlowUp that’s happened over the last decade, as evidenced in his entry into the #10YearChallenge…
You’re looking great, Francois – we can’t wait to see you in that red chair!
The Voice SA premieres on Sunday 3 February at 17:30. Join the conversation on our Facebook page, and on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #TheVoiceSA.