By Bukamuso Sebata It’s been said that “Msaki does not write songs; she catches them”. Born in East London, Eastern Cape, Asanda Lusaseni Mvana, professionally known as Msaki, is a musician, curator, producer, and composer. At this year’s National Arts Festival, the Standard Bank Young Artist for Music returns to the town she grew up in with exhibitions and a performance as part of her journey to fetch younger versions of herself. Msaki’s exhibition, Ndiyozilanda (I’m going to fetch myself), offers a deeply personal and introspective exploration of her relationship with Makhanda, a town marked by personal and historical traumas.…
Author: Cue 2023
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By Andrea Cole As part of the 2023 National Art Festival’s exhibition programme, In the Eye of the Beholder aims to shine a light on local Eastern Cape artists. The exhibition is curated by Emma O’Brien and Uthando Baduza and generously supplied by The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Art Museum. The exhibition showcases a regional yet stylistically assorted art collection ranging from ceramic items and framed paintings (both representational and abstract) to an intricate life-sized person in armour made of wire, and a tapering double-helix wooden structure. ‘The Fighters’ (2006) is a notable piece compiled of two cowhide casts of…
By Keren Banza ROOTS places a spotlight on intergenerational trauma while deconstructing the meaning of motherhood. Kenyan writer and performer, Wanjiku Mwawuganga, invites us into the complex relationships between mothers and daughters spanning five generations of her family. Before walking into the theatre, a level of trust and intimacy is created between artist and audience member. We are each gifted with a photo. Every snapshot is a puzzle piece in Mwawuganga’s life, instantly making ROOTS an exchange between the performer and the audience. Using the photographs, Mwawuganga engages in conversations with the audiotorium. There is a lack of photographs…
By Bukamuso Sebata Having recently given birth, the artist is unable to make the opening of her own exhibition. Instead, a video recording fills the space. Inspired by personal events, Laura Windvogel-Molefi, a.k.a Lady Skollie, takes the audience on a journey where imagination and artistry become tools to fill the void left by a forgotten heritage. Titled Groot Gat, the solo exhibition by this year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Art, is a thought-provoking and visually captivating showcasing that delves deep into the complexities of cultural identity and the impact of history, oppression, and colonialism. Even virtually, Windvogel-Molefi…
By Buhle Andisiwe Made Rhodes University alumni, Sibongakonke Mama, has come full circle at this year’s National Arts Festival with her National Playwright Award production, Ibuhlungu le Ndawo. After taking the leap and penning her award winning script, Mama has done exceedingly well. The playwright works alongside director Mandla Mbothwe; music coordinator, Siya Makuzeni; and lighting designer, Bamanye Yeko, with performances from Chuma Sopotela, Indalo Stofile, and Nasfa Ncanywa. Upon entering the theatre, the audience is immersed in the music of Makuzeni as she invites you into a realm, one placed centre stage. The trombone player and vocalist belt their…
By Gavin Gaka At such a young age, the angelic Sukeina Issofu has managed to find a voice within herself that emotively articulates her journey of transformation through poetry. Curls and Thrills is a collection of spoken-word poetry that expressively details challenging moments in a woman’s life that prove to be the catalyst for growth. Issofu’s poetry is heavily influenced by hip-hop. The experimentation between poetry and the musical genre is an interesting relationship explored on-stage. Her collection of work is primarily structured in “heat of the moment reflections” that range from love, loss, and the ills rife in society…
By Anoka Latchmiah Whistleblowers, directed by Rob Murray and Quintjin Relow, is a production that speaks to the power of theatre through an enthusiatic cast and scintillating scoring. The title is a carefully measured metaphor that intertwines the narrative of young women playing on the field and their personal experiences of “blowing the whistle” on gender based violence in South Africa. The play begins with a hockey match between two rival teams, The Whistleblowers and the Redcaps. Here, the match is a metaphor for the lives of the players and the coach. The first subject of the metaphor is that…
By Fahdia Msaka Not Falling is a two-woman dance piece by Lilitha Tsetsana and Bethany McLachlan-Evans. The story, written and directed by Juliette Rose-Innes, redefines the conventions associated with what we know as ‘happily ever after’. Choreographed by Amber Morgan, the production follows the relationship between two women and the challenges they face, inevitably bringing them together. Although the audience was small, the sincerity in the room resonated. The themes of queer relationship dynamics, medical malpractice, disability, and escaping generational trauma feel particularly relevant to a 21st century audience. Our protagonist, Maddie (McLachlan-Evans), starts as a carefree character, but we…
By Ovayo Milisa Novukela The 2023 National Arts Festival (NAF) launched on the evening of 22 June. Local and provincial leaders were present at the opening ceremony which was quickly disturbed by audience members who expressed their anger and disappointment with the Makana Local Municipality service delivery, particularly the water crisis. The Executive Mayor of Makana Municipality, Yandiswa Vara, indicated that the Festival is the perfect platform for Makhanda to showcase its talents and skills as a town. “We are excited to host this event for the 49th year, and we are hoping our visitors from all over the country…
By Keren Banza Legendary Queer Sisters does not wait for October’s South African Pride Month to celebrate and amplify the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community. Instead, right here at the Festival, the cast represents the queer joys and struggles through song, dance, and strong narratives. The performance is compelling with high-energy choreography sprinkled with heartfelt singing. The costumes are replate with heeled boots and makeup that screams ‘PROUD’. The character, Ruffled Feathers, dons a colourful feather headpiece, glittering atop a rainbow flag skirt below. The stage demands attention with a crucial message; “embrace diversity” and “wash away ignorance and homophobia.” …