Hawk - Africa She Too Can Cry (1970-72) (2009)

Hawk biography [progarchives]
Relatively unaware from the rest of the planet, South Africa apparently had their own rock scene in which a few groups evolved in the scope of ProgArchives, the first being Freedom Children and here, Hawk. Indeed the apartheid was an important factor running the country and the generally well-respected boycott made that a few artistes left the country (ie: Manfred Mann), but others remained and fought the Apartheid in their own manner. Whether Hawk really did so is anyone's guess, but the strong black African music sprinkled all over their music does give a hint they did. Hawk was a group that was apparently managed from afar by Lonstain, but the problems were numerous between artistes and producers.

The Johannesburg quintet was formed Dave Ornelias (ac guitar, vocals) and Keith Hutchinson (winds & Kb) and comprised also guitarist mark Khan, bassist Richard Johnson and drummer Braam Malherbe (most likely a descendant of Huguenot, but no relation to the great Didier). The five musicians studied African music throughout a few trips and guest in their rented farm in the outskirts of the city. Apparently the group managed quite a live success based on their song Africa Day, then went on to record it along with more songs to make up their first album called after their success piece, that survived the apartheid Regime's censorship rules.

Playing more concerts, the management were often not forwarding the money and by the time the group was readying its second album Africa, She Can Cry Too, the management enforced a line-up change where keyboardist/saxFflurteman Hutchinson and bassist Johnson were given their walking papers. The second album was a very different thing altogether, and the band was apparently able to tour Europe to good acclaim, but to little rewards financially or musically. The group disbanded a while after returning to the country, then reformed a few years later