Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • SAC and DSG matric class of 1990 donate 64 dresses to Nathaniel Nyaluza for matric farewell
  • Children in the Eastern Cape are not being fed enough at school
  • I-Amazwi isindleke umsitho wokubhiyozela usuku lokungamafa namagugu
  • ‘Oh, the water came today’
  • Eluxolweni Child Youth Care Centre showcases young talent
  • Imvuselelo
  • Local mom wants urgent liver transplant for toddler
  • Explore Makhanda’s African Cuisine
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Truth behind tears
Uncategorized

Truth behind tears

Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailJune 17, 2011No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Upcoming theatre piece The Language We Cry In is the collaboration of four local performing arts groups set to appear in the National Arts festival beginning in three weeks.

Upcoming theatre piece The Language We Cry In is the collaboration of four local performing arts groups set to appear in the National Arts festival beginning in three weeks.

It is a contemporary physical theatre piece, brought to life by Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company, Rhodes University and the Amaphiko Township Dance Project, and is accompanied by the Kingswood College Band.

This dance and musical journey depicts the historical meeting of white Americans and African slaves – but told from an unusual viewpoint, says choreographer Sifiso Sikhakhane.

The concept came to Sikhakhane, a Rhodes University third-year Drama student, when he saw a documentary about a lullaby sung by Sierra Leonese slaves in America. After centuries away from Africa, the song had survived, even though its meaning had long been forgotten.

Then it was discovered that the song still existed in Sierra Leone and, in its native tongue, it was actually a funeral song. "The documentary made me question my own language and identity," said Sikhakhane, and he believes that even though a person may "speak and live in another language, "the language you cry in shows your identity."

The slaves in America held on to their African identity by singing a funeral song, even though in time the meaning of the words was lost. Sikhakhane uses the story of the song to explore what language, memory and our personal histories mean. He says language is something that connects a person to their ancestral roots and that even though memories are not tangible, they exist.

As for the cast, (four of the dancers are school children, six are Rhodes students, and 47 pupils make up the Kingswood Band), Sikhakhane said they had been very professional, dedicated and talented. He also observed the dynamic between the children from different parts of Grahamstown and how this influenced the performance.

"The kids from Kingswood and Amaphiko are from completely different backgrounds, and they come together and share themselves, and bring their histories." Through a fusion of dance, music and some singing The Language We Cry In draws one into the personal stories of the African and American people meeting and perceiving one another for the first time.

The cast of dancers from Rhodes University and the Amaphiko project will move to the sounds of the Kingswood College Band to present their histories, as well as those of their characters. "This African-American story has been told so many times," says Sikhakhane, "but I want it to be about our individual histories."

Previous ArticleWater shortages are back due to faulty pumps
Next Article All Rhodes lead to South Korea
Grocott's Mail

    Comments are closed.

    Tweets by Grocotts
    Newsletter



    Listen

    The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

    Humans of Makhanda

    Humans of Makhanda

    Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

    © 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.