Questions around
African identity and belonging are woven into this year's programme for the
National Arts Festival, with continental representation from countries such as
Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
This year's
celebration of Africa Day takes on special significance in South Africa, where
a recent upsurge in xenophobic violence has affected the country’s relationship
with its neighbours and friends across the continent.
Africa Day, held
annually on May 25, is a commemoration of the founding of the Organisation of
African Unity (later the African Union) in 1963, and is widely regarded as a
reminder of the continent’s quest for unity and peace.
As South African
struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada said at Nelson Mandela's funeral in Qunu in the
Transkei, 'Xenophobia, racism and sexism must be fought with tenacity, wisdom
and enlightenment. Anything that defines someone else as "the other"
has to go. Tolerance and understanding must flourish and grow.'
It is these
bridge-building questions of identity, belonging and what it means to be
African that artists from around the continent will bring to the stage during
this year’s National Arts Festival, which runs from July 2 to 12 in
Grahamstown.
Issues of
reconciliation and forgiveness are at the heart of the remarkable one-woman
show, Miracle in Rwanda. Co-created
and acted by Leslie Lewis Sword, it tells the story of Rwandan genocide
survivor Immaculé Ilibagiza, a 22-year-old Tutsi who hid with seven other women
in the bathroom of a local Hutu pastor's home.
Zimbabwean identity
will be explored through dance, movement and space by Tumbuka, who will present
Portrait of Myself as my Father, an
interrogation into masculinity, performance and the Zimbabwean self. However, it
is in music where Africans seem to most easily find common ground. Madagascar’s
Eusèbe Jaojoby brings his country’s unique
salegy sound to the Grahamstown stage. The singer – dubbed the King of Salegy –
is known for his willingness to experiment, blending the Malagasy genre with
soul, rock, funk and other Western musical styles.
Malawi will be represented
by Masauko Chipembere, whom South Africans will recall as a member of the
1990’s acoustic duo BlkSonshine.
More traditional
African music will be celebrated when Rhodes University’s International Library
of African Music (ILAM) marks its 60th anniversary with Celebrating African Music. Expect
fascinating music performed on a wide range of traditional and contemporary
instruments, accompanied by spectacular dance by local groups. Prof Emeritus
Andrew Tracey, ILAM’s retired director, will make a special appearance.
The Standard Bank Jazz programme expertly creates the
space for some of Africa’s top musicians to collaborate with their South
African counterparts. Playing with Dave Reynolds and Pops Mohamed are Sylvain Baloubeta (bass - Congo), Frank Paco (drums - Mozambique). Also in the line-up are Zimbabwe’s
Oliver Mtukudzi, Benin-native
guitarist and vocalist Lionel Loueke, Botswanan-born Bokani Dyer and Nigerian
guitarist Kunle Ayo.
As always with film, it’s
just a small skip from there to murder and mayhem in a Nigerian jungle with Bleeding
Rose. Director Chucks Mordi’s film about a group of botany students
searching for a healing plant in an evil forest, offers South African audiences
the chance to see the kind of film wildly popular in the West African country.
It won Best Feature Film at the 2007 International Film Festival in Lagos.
Book at www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/events or click through to the
NAF website via the banner at the top of this page
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