Composition Review By Benevolence Mazhinji The Prestige School of Dance presented a delightful and technically ambitious show, Composition, at the Monument last Friday. The show was an impressive display of the school’s diverse curriculum and highlighted the creative contributions of its young and emerging choreographers. The programme was thematically structured around four distinct dance styles: classical, soul, country and pop jazz, with each section offering its own unique kinetic narrative. The classical section primarily featured various groups of young ballet dancers, showcasing their growing confidence and excellent poise. Their dances flowed with gentle turns and graceful, unhurried movements that highlighted…
Author: Benevolence Mazhinji
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Echoes of Home Review By Benevolence Mazhinji The Music Society of Makhanda presented their final concert of the year, Echoes of Home, on Wednesday evening at the Beethoven Room. The programme showcased a work by leading South African composer Paul Hanmer alongside original compositions by saxophonist Rick van Heerden and flautist Stacey van Schalkwyk, both of whom performed their pieces that night. The music was reflective and deeply textured, exploring themes of memory, loss and building community. It revealed the emotional depth behind the compositions as well as the calibre of musical talent that is emerging in South Africa. Among…
By Benevolence Mazhinji There’s another awe-inspiring mural in town, painted by Makhanda artists Mook Lion and Phila Phaliso, with assistance from Manners Dutuma and Lulutho Madolo. The piece in Cuyler Street is part of the Osaziwayo Bomculo Basekoloni Project, a Visual Arts Mural initiative celebrating iconic musicians from the Eastern Cape. It was commissioned by Africhili Entertainment, headed by creative producer Simamkele Mahambehlala, after the organisation secured funding from the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) programme. The MGE aims to grow South Africa’s cultural and creative industries by supporting projects that generate employment and recognise…
Review There’s a princess in us all By Benevolence Mazhinji The Rhodes Theatre stage became a kaleidoscope of dreams this past weekend with the ballet performance There’s a princess in us all. This was an enchanting journey through the heart of fairy tales, blending classical technique and imaginative storytelling. The production followed a young dreamer, whisked away to the magical worlds of Disney heroines, and each encounter taught her something new about bravery, kindness and believing in herself. The show opened with a magical moment as the dreamer, played by Aurora Rendecki, stepped into the spotlight on a stage soaked…
REVIEW Magnitude By Benevolence Mazhinji Poet and Rhodes University lecturer Deborah Seddon launched her debut poetry collection, Magnitude, at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature last week. She was joined in conversation by graphic novelist Nathan Trantraal to trace the contours of her emotionally devastating yet comforting and cathartic poetry. Seddon’s craft is remarkable in its careful balance of precision and intimacy. Each poem feels both meticulously shaped and effortlessly natural, as if the act of writing itself is a process of discovery, unfolding in real time for both the poet and the reader. She said that after her…
By Benevolence Mazhinji Zongezile Matshoba, manager of education and public programmes at the Amazwi SA Museum of Literature, has claimed a top national honour by winning the isiXhosa category of the Avbob Poetry Project Competition. The competition, which initially had four categories — Birth, Death, Love and Hope — added a fifth category — New Beginnings — in 2024. “I have made submissions in all the categories since 2017,” said Matshoba. Central to Matshoba’s poetic output is his unwavering celebration of his mother tongue. He said that of the 34 poems that he has proudly and gladly contributed to the…
By Deborah Seddon Grief doesn’t come in five stages Grief is a mess you need to keep wiping up. A troll with a spade lurking to wallop you in doorways. An ambush, a panic attack, while waiting at a boiling kettle. Yesterday you were angry all over again. Today it was dark when you woke. You pulled on a woolly hat and got back into bed, wept. Because you miss your mother but also you fear you’ve become her – an old woman going to bed in a woolly hat because she is all alone and it is so cold.…
By Benevolence Mazhinji The atmosphere at Johan Carinus Art Centre was charged with pride and anticipation at its annual exhibition and prize-giving ceremony recently. This event, which showcases the artistic excellence of learners from Makhanda schools who study art at Carinus, brings together the year’s most accomplished work in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics and design. Circuit manager at the Department of Education in the Makhanda district, Dr Xolani Mayana, opened the ceremony with a reminder that art is necessary for the progression of our society, and that it cannot be separated from the broader question of what education is meant…
By Benevolence Mazhinji A powerful evening of solidarity and compassion unfolded last week at Voices for Peace, a fundraising event held for a Rhodes student stranded in Gaza. The gathering on Saturday 27 September was made possible through the collaborative effort of the creative writing club, Ink Society, the Journalism and Media Studies department (JMS) and the Rhodes Muslim Student Association. “Tonight, we have come together as the Rhodes student body to support and send aid to our fellow student Mohammed Alshannat who, along with his family, is under siege in Gaza,” said Nia van Niekerk, chairperson of Ink Society.…
Preview by Benevolence Mazhinji The magic of Christmas is arriving early in Makhanda this year — tomorrow, to be precise. On Saturday (4 October), the Cathedral of St Michael and St George will come alive with the sound of A Christmas Concert of Joy and Giving, presented by the Rhodes Department of Music and Musicology. The concert will showcase a blend of classical favourites and timeless Christmas carols, including, O Come, All Ye Faithful, which will be sung in four different languages. The RUC Choir and the Makhanda Community Orchestra will be joined on stage by special guests and soloists Sandile Mabaso…