If you’re going to Splashy Fen Music Festival (taking place from April 29 to May 2 in the Underberg), look out for the recently-published book celebrating the event’s 10th anniversary. From its moody cover pic of Nibs van der Spuy by Val Adamson and the striking index section to an enchanting pic of Bart Fokkens on a scrambler with baby son Rudi to the final cover pic of the maskanda group Zamakile Nkomo, it’s an attractively-presented compilation of memories from some of the many regular Fenners.

Editor Chris Chapman thought that writing a book covering Splashy Fen from 1990 to 1998 would be a breeze. But garnering specific information turned out to be more difficult than he expected. “Then it dawned on me that Splashy Fen exists as fragments of memories in all these people’s heads,” he explains. “It doesn’t matter what happened when, it just matters that it was special and sharing those memories makes us brothers (and sisters), members of the Splashy Fen tribe.”

So, Splashy Fenners were asked to write their own stories. The result is, as Chris Chapman rightly describes: “a delightful collection of stories that hang together in a semi-chaotic state, a bit like a loose jam around campfire.”

Splashy Fen – a Celebration is published by Artworks and Mile High Festival, with Bart Fokkens as project co-ordinator and Garth Robinson as art director. Editorial contributors are Peter Ferraz, David Marks, Roger Lucey, Peter Rorvik, Russel Wasserfall, Rick Andrew, Brian Moore, Arlo Hennings and Syd Kitchen. Photographic contributors include Robert D’Avice, Val Adamson, DeeBedingfield, Grant Erskine, Sharon Gill, Shirley Trickett, Colin Hull, Jason Tonkin and Sharlene Versveld and Illa Thompson, to name just a few.

The book is full of lively and amusingly writing stories. The first Splashy experienced major sound problems eventually surmounted by bringing in a tractor to drive the generator which made such a noise it had to be parked some distance away and turned off when it had to be refuelled. Other teething problems included the fact that those who were supposed to be watching the gate were more inclined to be found next to the stage and, at one point, the wind got up and the gate money blew across the fields into brambled and barbed wire fences.

The first Splashy Fen was held in 1990 on a trout farm belonging to journalist Peter Ferraz who had tired of city life and headed for the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg near Underberg. Along the way, he met livewire Bart Fokkens and together they dreamed up the idea of a folk music festival. Not long afterwards, a little rocky hill area which had been pronounced acoustically perfect became the venue for the first Splashy which attracted close on 1200 people instead of the conservatively estimated 200.

Since then, the peaks of Thaba Ntlenjana, Southern Africa’s highest mountain, have looked down onto an annual thrash that attracts tens of thousands of campers who survive the chilly nights, basic toilet facilities and the crowds simply because they love the music and the ambience. But if you’re not wildly interested in the music, you can gather up the fishing rod and head for the river to fish for trout for supper. Or just sit by the bank and watch the otters at play.

Splashy Fenisn’t just a philanthropic bash. It’s brought economic benefits to the area and annually pays out in the region of R200 000 in musicians fees, thus directly supporting the South African music industry.

You can buy Splashy Fen – a Celebration at Splashy for R65. There will also be a special offer on sale for R200 comprising the book, a double CD featuring 10 years of Splashy Fen and a T-shirt. Thereafter, the book will be available from Chris Chapman at Artworks on 303-6466. Fax 303-4493. E-mail chris@artworks.co.za. For more details check out the website on www.splashyfen.co.za