Enter the ninja

Rave rappers Die Antwoord to return to Israel this summer

The idiosyncratic South African trio was last here in 2016, and is swinging back as part of a world tour

By Jessica Steinberg
  • Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
 23 April 2018, 2:59 pm
Die Antwoord, or "The Answer," performed for an Israeli audience of 10,000, June 8, 2016 and will return August 2018 (Orit Pnini)

South African rap rave group Die Antwoord returns to Israel this summer with a show on August 8 at Live Park Rishon.

The trio from Cape Town — frontman Ninja, singer Yo-Landi Visser and DJ Hi-Tek — was last here in 2016 for a performance in the same venue as part of the “Suck on This” tour.

Their 2016 performance took place on the same night as a deadly terrorist attack at Tel Aviv’s Sarona market. The group had resisted BDS calls to cancel its concert and refused to boycott Israel.

Ninja of Die Antwoord performed in Rishon Lezion, June 8, 2016. (Orit Pnini)

Last May, Die Antwoord announced via social media networks that it was going to release its final album, entitled “The Book of Zef,” in September 2017 and immediately disband. It was a followup to its previous album, “Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid.”

Instead, it headed out on a world tour that appears to be continuing into 2018.

“Die Antwoord” means “The Answer” in Afrikaans, and the band, part of South Africa’s “zef” counterculture movement, performs in English and Afrikaans, and has used the Bantu language Xhosa.

Tickets for the August 8 Live Park Rishon show are being sold now at Ticketmaster Israel for NIS 239 and will be later sold for the full price of NIS 289.

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