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Sunday, March 17, 2024

WAY OF THE CROSS

 Mariannhill Monastery: Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 15h00.

The Durban Catholic Players’ Guild will present its annual theatrical presentation of the Passion of Christ on Palm Sunday in Mariannhill, near Durban.

The Way of the Cross is being staged in association with the Knights of da Gama on Saturday March 23 at 15h00 at the grounds of the Mariannhill monastery church (behind the tea garden).

There is no entrance fee, and all are welcome. 

Parking is available in the monastery grounds.

"KING OF BROKEN THINGS" FOR ONE PERFORMANCE AT KEARSNEY COLLEGE

 


(Above: Cara Roberts in one of the highlights of the show) 

Kearsney College: Thursday March 21 at 19h30

 The King of Broken Things – a whimsical, profound and poignant one-hander by Theatresmiths’ Michael Taylor Broderick, featuring Cara Roberts (as a young boy) comes to 1000 Hills for a single performance - at Kearsney College on Thursday March 21, 2024, at19h30.

 The King of Broken Things dares its audience to imagine, to dream and most of all, to believe. It is a show about hope, about fixing and mending, about forgiving and about healing, all of these are key ingredients that are much needed in our beloved country right now. The show gently deals with many issues facing society today: bullying; prejudice; gratuitous waste; absent fathers and the futility and consequences of war. All of these themes are keenly and wryly observed by the young protagonist. Because these ideas are expressed by a child (played by Cara Roberts), they are more honest and forthright - acceptance is where change and healing begins.


(Right: Cara Roberts in exploratory mode)

The King of Broken Things has received awards and accolades where ever it has performed. It is produced by Theatresmiths which is founded by Michael Taylor Broderick. 

It is a group of like-minded theatre practitioners intent on changing the world through the magic of theatre.

 Tickets R150 in advance through Webtickets

Show takes place on March at 19h30 at Kearsney College, 25 Old Main Road, Botha’s Hill.

 There is on-site parking.

NB: To catch the artSMart review of the show written by Romi Schumann visit http://news.artsmart.co.za/2023/11/the-king-of-broken-things-review.html

Friday, March 15, 2024

VINCENT – HIS QUEST TO LOVE AND BE LOVED

 


Back at Rhumbelow Theatre by popular demand, Vincent – His Quest To Love And Be Loved tells of the artist’s search for love, told through reimagined versions of popular musical theatre, pop, rock and jazz numbers.

 Featuring Daniel Anderson (vocals) and Paul Ferreira (piano) the show takes place on:

 April 12, 2024. Show starts 19h30

April 13, 2024. Shows at 14h00 and 19h30

April 14, 2024. Show starts 14h00

 The venue is open 90 minutes before show. Running time is 60 minutes – no interval

 

The production team features Amanda Bothma, Jacques du Plessis & Germaine Gamiet. 

(Left: Daniel Anderson)

Towards the end of his short life, Vincent Van Gogh, who suffered from mental illness, was treated by Doctor Paul Gachet. 

Vincent writes to his brother Theo: “A great fire burns within me, but no one stops to warm themselves at it, and passers-by only see a wisp of smoke.” The 37-year-old painter died of a self-inflicted wound in 1890.

On May 15, 1990, The Portrait of Doctor Gachet was sold, within three minutes, for 82 million dollars.

“The true essence of cabaret-style theatre leaves you wanting more and more as the show goes on.” – Devon Koen, The Herald

“The show was a wow. People sat there afterwards in a kind of trance-like state”. – Robyn Cohen, The Cape Robyn

** “Vincent has the heart and soul of a West-End spectacular” – TheWeeReview, UK

*** “His performance was flawless and his ability to bring the sad tale to life with compassion and warmth has left a lasting impression” – TheatreAndArts, UK

 

Returning from a triumphant international tour at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Vincent, a multimedia pocket musical, (National Arts Festival Bronze Standard Bank Ovation Award 2022, Fleur Du Cap Nomination 2023, OffFest Nomination Edinburgh 2023) tells of a complex man with a ruthless drive to create and a deep-seated desire to love and be loved. The show tells of the artist’s search for love, told through reimagined versions of popular musical theatre, pop, rock and jazz numbers.

Tickets R220 (R200 pensioners). Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or Computicket.

Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the venue. Bar available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). There is limited secure parking.

For more information contact Roland Stansell on 082 499 8636 or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com/

Rhumbelow Theatre is situated at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road, Durban. Northlands Bowling Club

 

See the artSMart review from his April appearance at Rhumbelow Theatre in Durban: http://news.artsmart.co.za/2023/04/vincent-review.html

ALEX CROSS MUST DIE: REVIEW

 

“Alex Cross Must Die” is a convoluted thriller well worth reading. It is Patterson at his ultimate solo best. (Review by Barry Meehan for artSMart)

James Patterson is billed as “The World’s Bestselling Thriller Writer” on the front cover of his latest novel, Alex Cross Must Die. This I can certainly believe, as his output is prolific, with a good few hundred titles listed at the back of this book.

Unfortunately, so many of these titles are co-written with other authors, and one has to wonder just how many were his original idea that he’s passed on to a co-author to flesh out, or how many are conceived and written in their entirety by others, riding on Patterson’s coat-tails.

 Be that as it may (and it is only my humble opinion), I much prefer Patterson’s novels when he is the sole author. 

Fortunately, the Alex Cross thrillers are all his work and his alone (apart from one co-authored by Richard DiLallo) and it certainly shows in the writing.

This, the latest, is one of his best, a thriller that leads us down a path where we think we know everything there is to know about the heinous crime committed, but then throws us multiple curveballs, taking our thinking in completely new directions.

American Airlines flight 839, en route from Palm Beach International to Washington DC, is the target of a weapons expert. It is brought down just before the runway, killing everyone on board.

The main question that faces detectives Alex Cross and John Sampson is why that particular flight? Was the perpetrator out to create a name for himself? Or was he targeting one particular individual? If the latter, exactly who is the principal victim and why was he/she taken out?

Patterson weaves a thrilling tale, intertwining the narrative with a second case that Cross and Sampson are battling to solve – a serial killer who has been ambushing young men in what the media have dubbed the “Dead Hours” murders. The killer is this case has to be stopped before he takes anyone else down – and soon!

Alex Cross Must Die is a convoluted thriller well worth reading. It is Patterson at his ultimate solo best. – Barry Meehan

The book is published by Penguin Random House UK: ISBN 978-1-529-13660-9

ST PATRICK’S DAY: PADDY’S BAND

 

Well-known actor and director Paul Spence will present St Patrick’s Day: Paddy’s Band on March 17, 2024, from 16h00 to 19h00.

The show will take place at Crossways in Hilton and will feature Spence himself along with Kath McClelland, Charles Webster, Axl Forder (Wild Rover) and Ant Cawthorn-Blazeby.

Tickets R100 (R80 seniors, R50 scholars. Under 5 free).

Book with Chantelle on 033 343 32267 or 079439 5723

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

THE GHOST ORCHID: REVIEW

 

As always, Kellerman gives us a convincing and convoluted plot with many twists and turns, leading the reader heading in different directions before bring everything to a satisfactory conclusion. (Review by Barry Meehan)

 

Jonathan Kellerman’s latest thriller The Ghost Orchid kicks off with LAPD Homicide Lieutenant, Milo Sturgis, and his trusty behavioural psychologist friend and colleague, Alex Delaware investigating a double killing around a pool in the garden of a house in the up-market residential neighbourhood of Bel Air, on the West side of Los Angeles.

The victims – both naked and shot twice each – are definitely not suicides, so a murder investigation is soon underway. As it turns out, the man is Italian and a representative of his family’s very successful international shoe business, having been sent to Los Angeles to kickstart the business in the Americas.

The woman victim’s identity is tracked down pretty quickly. She is a neighbour from a few houses away, a fitness fanatic who prefers doing her running at night around the neighbourhood, making it easier for her to carry on her affair with the Italian shoe manufacturer.

The main question facing Milo and Alex is who the principal victim was – the handsome shoe man who has had many dalliances, or his older but well-kept female lover. Also in question is who would want to murder either of them, and why.

As with most good thrillers – and this is certainly a good one – the victims’ pasts have to be thoroughly investigated to shed light on the matter. In this case, turning up all manner of affairs and past indiscretions, along with identity changes surface as our investigators delve deeper into a murky world of past lives which would have been hidden from lesser detectives.

As always, Kellerman gives us a convincing and convoluted plot with many twists and turns, leading the reader heading in different directions before bring everything to a satisfactory conclusion.

The Ghost Orchid is highly recommended reading - Barry Meehan

The Ghost Orchid is published by Penguin Random House UK. ISBN  978-1-529-90037-8

27TH TIME OF THE WRITER FESTIVAL

 


(Left: Margaret Busby. Photo Luke Daniels)

 Kicking off this week, the 27th Time of the Writer Festival showcases over 50% women authors in stimulating line-up.

 This week marks the kick-off of the 27th Time of the Writer festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. 

Taking place from March 14 to 21, 2024, this year's festival theme, "Reflections, Resonance & Revival," honours South Africa's 30th anniversary as a constitutional democracy, spotlighting the critical role of writers and literature in reinforcing the nation's democratic values and global stature.

In a celebration of female literary prowess, over 50% of the festival's participants are women writers, amounting to 64 out of 105 talented voices. This significant representation underscores the festival's continuous commitment to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and gender equality within the literary domain.

Ismail Mahomed, Director of the Centre for Creative Arts, says: "Featuring over 50% female authors in this year's festival is not just a statistic; it's a testament to our commitment to amplifying the diverse voices of women who are shaping the landscape of contemporary literature. Their stories, insights, and perspectives are pivotal in reflecting, resonating, and reviving the rich tapestry of tales that underpin the values of South Africa as a constitutional democracy.”

The 27th Time of the Writer festival features Zakes Mda, a monumental figure in the literary world, as its headliner and keynote speaker, together with an impressive line-up of talented authors ready to share their recent works and engage in thought-provoking discussions. Among these are Justice Malala, known for his acute political analyses; Siphiwo Mahala, renowned for his evocative storytelling; and Angela Makholwa, celebrated for her captivating thrillers. 

(Right: Angela Makholwa. Pic supplied)

The festival welcomes participation from African writers, enriching the event with a continental perspective. 

Notable international figures include Margaret Busby from Ghana, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor from Kenya, and Israel Campos from Angola, all converging in Durban to create a truly global literary dialogue.

 

(Left: Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor. Pic supplied)

 This year’s edition integrates both physical and virtual platforms, welcoming a live audience at the Alliance Française in Morningside, Durban, while also extending its reach nationally and globally through online access. The programme is rich with book launches, panel discussions, workshops, and readings, designed to stir the imagination and provoke thoughtful dialogue.

“Join us in embracing the power of words and the enduring spirit of storytelling that continues to shape our nation and the world,” says resident curator Tsosheletso Chidi.

 

Event Details

27th Time of the Writer Festival

Date: March 14 – 21

Location: Alliance Française, Morningside, Durban & Online

 

For more information, visit tow.ukzn.ac.za or follow the festival on social media @timeofthewriter

 

Or link direct to the Centre for Creative Arts by clicking on the logo advert to the right of this article.

KZN PHILHARMONIC’S 2024 SUMMER SEASON #3

 


Week Three: Ode to peasant dances, a failed law degree and an ill-fated marriage.

This Thursday is the penultimate concert in the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2024 Summer symphony season taking place in The Playhouse Opera Theatre on March 14, 2024, starting at 19h00.

Leon Bosch, South African born bassist-turned conductor - one of South Africa’s most distinguished musical ‘exports’ – takes the podium for the third concert of the season on March 14. He launches his programme with Grieg’s lyrical Holberg Suite Op. 40, honouring Dano-Norwegian humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg - more properly known as: From Holberg's Time, subtitled "Suite in olden style", is a suite of five movements based on 18th-century dance forms, written by Edvard Grieg in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Holberg’s birth.

This will be followed by Frantz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5, which is often described as his tribute to Mozart. This comparative rarity is sure to send the audience home in a euphoric mood. Schubert began both a law degree and his Symphony No. 5 in the same year. This time, it was the law degree rather than the music, that would remain unfinished.

South Korean violinist Hyeyoon Park makes a triumphant return to perform Tchaikovsky’s crowd-pleasing Violin Concerto. Composed in 1878, it is one of the best-known violin concertos. The concerto was composed in Clarens, Switzerland, where Tchaikovsky was recovering from the fall-out of his ill-fated marriage.

The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra wants to make their audiences’ concert experience as comfortable as possible. Many audience members would prefer not to self-drive to the Playhouse to attend KZN Philharmonic concerts in the evening, so the Orchestra is providing a FREE bus service which allows people to park in the suburbs and hop on a bespoke bus into town.

Various routes are on offer for this season: for North of Durban residents - from Grace Family Church in Umhlanga departing at18h10; for Upper Highway residents - a bus departs from St Agnes Church at 17h45; Westville residents can park at Westville Senior Primary, with a bus departing at 18h00. A bus stops at the Caister Lodge in Durban’s Berea for Durbanites, departing 18h20. Secure, free parking is available at all departure points.  The bus is free, but booking is essential.

Bus bookings close on Tuesday at 16h00. Bookings may be made by emailing info@kznphil.org.za or by calling 031 369 9438.

Bongani Tembe, KZN Philharmonic’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director says: ‘It is our great pleasure and privilege to welcome back our unique community of music lovers for our Summer Symphony Season of 2024. Now as ever, we are set to uphold the grand traditions of our long-running World Symphony Series, as we bring the music lovers we serve, a roster of superbly accomplished guest stars. They will join our dedicated orchestral musicians in creating many hours of musical enchantment. The season dovetails with our continued commitment to community engagement and skills transfer among new-generation artists and learners.’

Single tickets to the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra’s Symphony Concerts are available at Quicket or through KZN Philharmonic Office on 031 369 9438 or info@kznphil.org.za .

The public are welcome to sit in on the final rehearsal of the Symphony Concert every Thursday morning at 10h00 in the Playhouse Opera Theatre. Tickets R50 throughout and seating is unreserved in the downstairs stalls only.

Whilst the Playhouse Coffee Shop is not fully operational at the moment, Tea and Coffee is available for sale at the Playhouse Coffee Shop and the Playhouse Bar is once more operational for pre-concert and interval drinks. One can pre-order interval drinks on arrival.

For more information call 031 369 9438, email info@kznphil.org.za or visit www.kznphil.org.za

 

To link direct to the orchestra’s website, click on the KZNPO advert at the top right-hand side of this article.

 

 

Monday, March 11, 2024

ANDREW YOUNG - TIMELESS

 

(Above: Andrew Young)

Join International saxophonist Andrew Young and Durban’s own Pianist Graham Hudson, for an unforgettable night of music! There are two appearances under the sponsorship of Rhumbelow Theatre:

 

March 17 at 14h00 – Rhumbelow Theatre

March 23 at ?? - Northlands Bowling Club

We open 90 minutes before show

 

Experience the magic of jazz, blues, and swing with a modern twist. Our concert will take you on a journey through timeless classics, reimagined like old friends reunited. Get ready to tap your feet and sway to the rhythm of Take 5, Misty, Harlem Nocturn and Summertime. 

Swing standards such as All of me to later Autumn Leaves.  60s hits such as Stranger In the Shore and Girl From Ipanema. Incomparable Blues of Santana and Gary Moore.

it's a night you won't want to miss!

Tickets R200. Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the venue. Limited secure parking available. Bar Available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises)

Booking is essential on email: roland@stansell.co.za or Computicket

Or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com/

Cell 0824998636

 

Rhumbelow Theatre is situated at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road, Durban.

Northlands Bowling Club is situated at 50 Margaret Maytom Avenue, Durban North

BOKANI DYER FOR CENTRE FOR JAZZ

 

(Right: Bokani Dyer)

The Centre Jazz and Popular Music proudly presents Bokani Dyer’s solo performance on Wednesday March 20, 2024, at 17h30.

Born in Botswana, into a vibrant community of exiled musicians, and raised in South Africa with a keen sense of activism, Bokani Dyer returns to Durban with an intimate show.

Dyer is an established artist, with a growing global reputation. His career highlights include winning the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award for Jazz in 2011 and being awarded the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship competition in 2013.

His sold-out shows at the Vortex in London (2014) were described as “thrilling” and “superlative”. Dyer’s newest record marks him out as a musical visionary, ready to soundtrack us all into a collective and better future.

The concert takes place on March 20, 2024, at the UKZN, Centre for Jazz and Popular Music.  Doors open at 1700, Music starts at 17h30

Tickets (R110, R80 pensioners, R50 students) Bookings and more information, contact zamat1@ukzn.ac.za Tickets can also be purchased on Webtickets for R120

The Centre for Jazz is situated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, Dennis Shepstone Building, Level 2

https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1544218111

KZNPO SYMPHONY CONCERT NO.3: REVIEW

 


Conductor, Emmanuel Siffert’s perfect choice of tempi enabled the orchestra to excel, coaxing fine playing, in particular, from the woodwinds.  (Review by Barbara Trofimczyk)

 

KZN Philharmonic Concert No.3 at The Playhouse Opera Theatre

Thursday March 7, 2024.

Conductor - Emmanuel Siffert

Soloist -Jan Jiracek von Arnim

Programme:

Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin

Mozart - Piano Concerto K488

Tchaikovsky – Symphony No 2, “Little Russian”

 

It was an interesting choice of music for this week’s concert, the three works very different in character and style.

Le Tombeau de Couperin is a kind of dance suite inspired by dance forms of the Baroque era, but its original, somewhat modal textures belong to more recent times.

The four movements selected from the original six for piano solo, provided the best potential for exploring the wonderful and varied instrumental colours found in the orchestra. Ravel’s scoring of these dances is simply stunning, effectively tossing the melodic and rhythmic patterns in colourfully imitative gestures around the orchestra, chamber music in style.

Conductor, Emmanuel Siffert’s perfect choice of tempi enabled the orchestra to excel, coaxing fine playing, in particular, from the woodwinds.

In complete contrast, Tchaikovsky’s “Little Russian” is considerably more symphonic, characterised by distinctive melodies and development, rich in orchestration and wide-ranging dynamics, and the four movements conceived as a whole. There were many memorable moments in this performance.

To mention but a few: the opening horn solo announcing the start, the march-like ostinato rhythm of the slow movement, the quirky rhythmic changes between 2 beats and 3 beats in the Scherzo, and above all the exciting build-up of orchestral forces to a powerful climax at the end. That certainly stirred the audience! Conductor and orchestra seemed to enjoy this experience!

Nestled between these two extremes was the performance by Jan Jiracek von Arnim of Mozart’s beautifully lyrical, and ever popular Piano Concerto in A Major.

Essentially ‘melodic’ in character, the elegant scale and arpeggio passages which provide light and shade as well as harmonic flow and direction in the music, a deeply expressive slow movement in the minor key, followed by the vivacious final movement with its often-delightful interchanges between soloist and woodwinds the soloist always the protagonist, was all captured perfectly by pianist Jan Jiracek von Arnim in his fine performance of this concerto. Also very beautiful was his encore, Chopin’s well known Raindrop Prelude. - Barbara Trofimczyk

 

There are two concerts left in this season – March 14 and 21. For more information, go to the KZNPO’s website or link directly by clicking on the KZNPO advert to the top right-hand side of this article.

OLDUVAI TO AI: E-POETRY BY MARÍ PETÉ: REVIEW

 

(Left:  Marí Peté)

OlduvAI to AI: we with our tech tools – e-Poetry by Marí Peté

This is a wonderfully wild, almost-organic approach so apt for this defiantly trans-disciplinary multi-frequency body of work, evidencing what’s possible when we give ourselves creative and intuitive permission, liberating ourselves particularly within the academic zone. (Review by Malika Ndlovu)

In the e-Poetry collection OlduvAI to AI, a book skin contains the concept, yet the actual poems live on YouTube where they could be found when someone searches for other things. Shadow art inspires these performances, associating this primal edutainment tool with the topic of technology. When stories of our technological tools crisscross time, they ask what technology constitutes: the Lebombo bone calculating moon cycles; bird bone needles from Sibudu cave in KZN; and ancient communication across the Nile, are tethered to poems about modern Information and Communication, and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies -- from robotic surgery in Tygerberg Hospital, to drones in Rwanda. OlduvAI to AI. We and our tech tools is an open educational resource downloadable below.  https://sites.google.com/view/mari-pete/poetry/books#h.y0thw428eneo

OlduvAI to AI is Marí Peté’s 8th collection of poetry. She holds a PhD in Visual and Performing Arts from the Durban University of Technology, where she has provided eLearning support to her academic peers for 30 years.

“The invitation to read or access this extraordinary work is fittingly an online navigation path which leads to an immersive multi-modal–media-dimensional experience: Follow the link below > Click on the cover> A pdf book will download >

In the book, go to page 7 and click on e-Poetry Playlist. This will lead you to a YouTube collection of poems. I found the repeated action of spontaneously clicking to dive into full screen mode and then pressing to exit – within one sitting with this collection, like a kind of page-turning but somehow beyond the two/three dimensional, the tangible. The scope, depth, scale and psycho-emotional impact of this unassuming work is in fact immeasurable. We don’t often describe our encounters in the digital sphere as those of ‘tenderness’ and ‘nurturing’ or a ways of ‘know human experience more deeply’, as the opening quotation from Sean Wiebe illuminates. Yet here on an absorbing and expansive 50-minute journey with Mari Pete’s OlduvAI to AI: we with our tech tools – this feels and rings absolutely true.

This is one of those scenarios where you can gush with tides of words to describe the content, the experience, yet in her own introductory words Mari insightfully states: In poetry everything is deliberate, but not explicit. I wholeheartedly agree – you have to ‘be’ there, ‘be’ with this work to grasp its contours, swim in its currents and be fed by its nutritive meanings. The poems as stations or sites on the journey, are actually portals opening up fresh neural tracks and inspiring links to other bodies of work, in the manner rhizoids or constellations take form.

Through her thoughtfully-curated entrance into this vast domain … a threshold between physical and virtual is crossed and time or direction as linear, collapses. A freedom to navigate with all senses and in any or multiple directions at once, becomes possible. The ‘minimalist’ or intentionally economical form of poetry chosen serves as an all-in-one-wordimagesoundsense- compass, affording us easy pathways startling clarity and meaning.

Invisible currents of emotion are inexplicably stirred and I found myself not wanting to pinpoint which of these elements or tools was impacting me in the moment. Mari’s even-toned, intimate and warm–voiced rendition of the poems is another moving and accompanying element across this boundless cyberspace, a whispering wind or breath, becoming a familiar guide as the poems progress.

Where the voice is absent, an intentional silence or soundscape ‘speaks’ with/to the imagery on screen. In some cases, like the poem Amen with its visual totem and cosmic aura of sound, certainly require no further amplification. Spaciousness invites deeper listening, listening wholly. The credits and citations following each piece are another intriguing and informative aspect of this body of work, following the academic researcher ethics of honouring source material or inspirational root/route, are also like a sign-posts to a wider and deeper web of exploration into ancient and contemporary bodies of resonant work. These offer an abundance to the reader/listener/explorer beyond the already substantial Youtube playlist.

Wordless interludes like Loom serve as bridges made of static image and sound, allowing the previous piece/track to sink in as well as providing a clear crossing over - into a more dense terrain of history, science and intellectual analysis in Superseded - for Lady Lovelace, yet still engaging the senses with effective audio and written navigation tools, punctuated with full silences, serving digestion of meaning and calm reflection.

Towards its conclusion, another navigation tool is highlighted, that of poetic inquiry and imagination as research methodology. This is a wonderfully wild, almost-organic approach so apt for this defiantly trans-disciplinary multi-frequency body of work, evidencing what’s possible when we give ourselves creative and intuitive permission, liberating ourselves particularly within the academic zone. And just when you have surrendered to an emerging conceptual mapping and flow of ideas in the collection, in other words sussed out the environment, a sudden wave – a dip and drop into (a woman’s) heart and pure, human connection and delight, with a sequence of poems paradoxically titled Cyborg Eyes, Digital Divide and Speaker.

Then there’s another swift pivot into poems like the edgy yet humorous Eyeborg, exposing the ineptitude of security current MOs and the ‘general population’ at the frontiers of such biotech realities. Escalating in ominous nature, military lingo or deadly subtext with Silicone Circles and Cheap Tablets, the subsequent interlude offers a breathing space/window, shifts tack. With the Eng & Afrik twin poems Upwards & Boontoe and Lusona, there is thankfully a circling back into the realms of the generative and transcendent.

With Mari’s attuned ear, her precise yet soft way with words, the music of language in poems like these, she skilfully weaves so that it serves rhyme, rhythm and topography like a delicious (poem) recipe. And to ensure we don’t take ourselves and it all too seriously, Chuckle, a 21 second poem capturing a bubbling laughter arrives right in time before the closing arc of the collection. Here we arrive at the grace of the final poem Drone – ending the reverberating theme of eyes, ways of seeing, degrees and kinds of blindness. Then like earth-wise architecture a bridge of image and sound into the epilogue Mobile, appears. Going offline, exiting the collection, I was left with lingering sensory imprints: the image of a girl child, one resuscitated/resurrected just in time and another, new born and gurgling, fussing, calling out – both with eyes opening - wide.  I imagine that each launch into this ancient-future work, will be stimulating in different and surprising ways. This should definitely not be a once –off trip.” - Malika Ndlovu 

https://poetryarchive.org/poet/malika-ndlovu/