Hemel se deur
Reviewed by Duzzy Clayton
South African Singer-Songwriter Tian Nienaber is back with his first-ever Afrikaans offering Hemel Se Deur
Hot off the heels of his last successful single ‘Soldier On’ which was released just over a year ago, Tian is back with his new single, and guess what? It is beautiful and awesome and really emotional, a bit different from his last rockier song Soldier On, The new single is more of a softer ballad and shows the emotional side of Tian as well the talent as just what this musician can do music-wise.
Afrikaans being Tian’s first language, releasing an Afrikaans song was always on the cards, and what better time than now to do it after all his past English success, and also what better way to do it so beautifully as in this track?
The subject matter for this song is a very sad one as it is about a good friend of Tian who sadly took her own life 15 years ago, When I interviewed Tian for my Podcast (Listen Here), to talk about the new track, Tian said this song has been in the making for many years and he feels now is finally the right time to release it and to also pay tribute to his friend
The Lyrics accompany the subject matter very well and you can hear the emotion and raw brokenness in his voice as he sings each line, accompanied by a sad soft ballad of music, you can’t help but get a tear in your eyes while listening to this track, I say soft ballad, but the emotion in Tians voice along with the sad music and piano play really hits you in the gut as you feel the pain from the lyrics to the song
Having said that, just how the music and lyrics and Tian’s voice manage to hit a nerve and pull at the heartstrings, is also a testament to the production and recording quality of the song which in my opinion is done very well, and some of the best production work I have heard in a South African recorded song which makes me so happy because it means South Africa is not only producing great musicians such as Tian Nienaber, but we also producing great talents such as producers and sound engineers who can compete with the best in the world, A big shoutout and congratulations should go to Tian’s team Producers: Deon Dee & Ruan Graaff from Dee Graaff Productions who are also part of the mix and mastering of the track.
Tian Nienaber says: “This song was originally written about 15 years ago. Naturally, it’s been worked on a bit over the years but the core message and most of the lyrics have remained the same. The song was written after I lost a very close friend at the age of 12. So this was one of the first songs I ever wrote. I decided to release it now as I felt like it was the last bit of closure I needed to heal. I remember as a kid that I thought of stars as the souls of everyone who’s left us and that they are now part of the eternal life after death. A phrase that always stayed with me is that some people bring so much light into our lives that the light remains even after they are gone. A lot like stars. I wanted this song to be a bit more digestible than my other music as it’s a very universal message. We all have to deal with the death of a loved one at some stage in our lives. So I want people to feel like I do about it. It isn’t goodbye, it’s until we meet again. Until we’re all back home and together again.”
Watch A Video Interview With Tiaan Nienaber HERE
The video is accompanied by a beautiful music video which seems to be predominantly shot in a church and with the sad subject matter as well as Tiaan’s beautiful but sad voice and music along with the music video. I urge you to watch this great piece of art but be warned to have tissues near you because I suspect you, like me will shed many tears while the video and song play.
Watch The Music Video to Hemel Se deur HERE
I normally like to give listeners the best time and place to listen to a song for example at a party or while stuck in traffic whenever I am reviewing a track, but because of this song’s sad subject matter I just can’t do that, however, I will leave that up to the listener but I suggest this song will be perfect to listen to when you feeling low, or if you to have lost a loved one, and maybe you need a special way to say how you feel, then this song will be just the written song to set the mood.
Tian Nienaber says writing this song has brought him closer to a bad experience that happened 15 years ago and I really do hope everyone who listens to this track and is going through similar things feels closure too and is given some sort of peace
I would like to congratulate Tian Nienaber on a really beautifully written track, you really touched a nerve within me and I praise you for that.
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Lyrics
Soos ek vanaand na die sterre kyk die mense op God se stoep
Weet ek diep in my hart jy’s veilig maar ek mis om jou naam te roep
Weet dis al jare, ek sien jou in die skare, ek voel jou hier vanaand
Weet jy’s gelukkig geen seer kan jou kry, is dis selfsugtig van my?
Ek wens ek kan nou voor die hemelpoorte sit en weer jou asem hoor
Tot die stof gaan lê tot my trane droog word sal ek klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop-klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop-klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop aan die Hemel se deur
Dit word al hoe meer moeilik vir my om deur die dag te kom
Daar was nog so baie wat ek by jou moes leer al was ons albei nog jonk
Ek weet dis al jare, verlore ini skare, ek voel jou hier vanaand
Ek wens ek kan nou voor die hemelpoorte sit en weer jou asem hoor
Tot die stof gaan lê tot my trane droog word sal ek klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop-klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop-klop aan die Hemel se deur
Klop aan die Hemel se deur
Soos ek vanaand na die sterre kyk die mense op God se stoep.
Weet ek eks gelukkig, my seer is verby
Ek sal jou in die Hemel deur kry
