Furthering Luther College's Connection with Dave Matthews
Date 9/15/1999 12:00 AM | Topic: Features The Dave Matthews at Luther College legend goes on. Martin Klammer, Luther Professor of English and Africana Studies, spent the 1998-99 academic year in South Africa working with Dave Matthews.
Actually, with Dave Matthews' uncle.
Whose name is also Dave Matthews. And he is the namesake of the "Live at Luther" Matthews.
But he doesn't do blusey-folksy-funky music on a six-string guitar.
He is a resident of Vryburg, South Africa, who was involved in a developmental project committee. This committee deals with conflict mediation between ethnic group.
The elder Dave Matthews is the principal of Tiger Kloof, an elite secondary school in Vryburg
originally established to educate black South Africans, largely of Tswana descent.
Bishop Desmond Tutu attended the reopening ceremony earlier this decade, and the first president of Botswana graduated from Tiger Kloof.
Klammer describes Matthews as a "typical British guy" who sometimes seems "at loose ends." Matthews truly does not understand the esteem his singing nephew has received in the United
States.
"They have no concept that he's an icon," states Klammer.
The elder Matthews would be shocked to hear that the amount of money some people were willing to pay to see Dave and Tim play at Luther last spring.
Ann Blado, a Luther senior, also met the elder Matthews in Vryburg. She was shocked to discover that Matthews was "Live at Luther" Dave's uncle.
"I thought he was kidding," Blado said.
Though the two men are living half a world apart, they remain close, Klammer said. The singer visits his uncle when the opportunity arises.
"He stops by.Vryburg is really out of the way," said Klammer, who went on to say, "I think Uncle David is really important to him."
The singer is interested in many of the things his uncle is accomplishing.
"He himself is interested in going back to South Africa and helping with development projects," said Klammer, of the popular musician.
--
Eric Lahaie
Chips Staff Writer
[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]
