Author: Rod Amner

THEATRE: Purgatory: A Working Title Review by DANA OSBORN It’s been 28 years since the beginning of democratic South Africa and all its attendant promises of freedom, yet we’re still waiting. A better life for all must arrive, surely. We just have to wait a little longer. This is the genius of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, as it taps into the universal existentialism we all face; the limbo of the present as we wait for a better future. In South Africa, that existentialism circles from the personal to the political and back again. Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for…

THEATRE: The GraveReview by NONJABULO NTULI Like far, far too many young people in South Africa, Thabo Pusho, our protagonist in The Grave, never knew his father. His mother raises him in the chaotic, messy, clamorous township where distractions and temptations lurk on every corner. Yet his mother, desperately trying to give her son a chance at a better life, gets him into a former Model C school. But it takes more than exposure to a suburban environment to tame Thabo’s demons, which emerge from the black hole of not knowing his father. This is a hole his mother cannot…

By SONIA SAJJABI “You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you come from. African values are held in their art forms,” says Geoffrey Tracey, the grandson of famed ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey. Away but not detached from the National Arts Festival, the Festival of Circles brings together spirit, African music and culture to encourage people to reconnect with their roots. Often relegated to the past or seen as something to be ashamed of, Geoffrey Tracey believes these indigenous practices deserve to be celebrated.  In a tranquil and shaded garden on Fitzroy Street, he holds a creative space…

THEATRE: Just different, not less Review by NONJABULO NTULI Worried new parents argue and converse about their child’s unusual behaviour. While the father thinks the child should go to the villages, the mother wants to take their son to a specialist. Directors Yanga Mabetshe and Malibongwe Madyo raise awareness about autism through their eye-opening theatrical play, Just Different, Not Less, a story inspired by JR Nkosi, an autistic self-taught pianist. After the parents find out that their son is autistic, the doctor tells them stories of other autistic children he has come across. Just Different, Not Less entertains and educates the…

By MZWANDILE MAMAILA Yanna Pelser is one of several female musicians who have defied the gender inequalities within the jazz industry and flourished in this male-dominated space. Having played the viola in string ensembles since the age of five, she has transcended her classical upbringing, moving into the often uncharted territories demanded by jazz. Pelser’s love for music stemmed from her family’s rich musical background. She had the opportunity to share the stage with her father, who plays the piano. Yanna Pelser For the NAF, Pelser says she was privileged to board a 12-hour flight and share a stage at…

DANCE: SavourReview by JOY HINYIKIWILE A thick ray of light illuminates the stage, and a young girl, wearing a sundress and holding a flower, walks on stage. She is followed by a crew of hard-breathing dancers who form a semi-circle around her.  As a man dances on stage, a voice echoes through the room, complaining about the current state of the world. But soon another man enters, his dance accompanied by another voice, one more optimistic. Savour, performed by the Jozi Youth Dance Company, immediately promises to push boundaries and challenge our thinking.   The dance production is eclectic, its dancers…

By SIVE FAITH GINYA  Ingcambu Blackroots produces a variety of hand-beaded jewellery, warm thrifted coats, and contemporary canvas paintings – all on show Under the Arch at this year’s National Arts Festival. Mfundo Sauli and Mondi Maku are two of the seven men who started the Kariega-based (formerly Uitenhage) NPO to stimulate change in their community by mentoring youth from local schools, including VM Kwinana Secondary School.  “Umbono wethu kukuba abantu bagcine amaphupho abo ephila (we encourage the youth to keep their dreams alive)”, said Sauli. Ingcambu Blackroots has previously worked with stakeholders such as the Department of Sports, Arts,…

MUSIC: Undead Generation Review by ELÉJHA-ZÉ GENGAN   Undead Generation is a punk fusion band from Gqeberha who, like a band of family members, fuse their inter-generational musical influences from the genres of punk, jazz, and rock. After countless line-up and membership changes, the band has become more of a shape-shifting musical collective, welcoming friends to join their musical family. Comprised of two guitarists, a saxophonist, a drummer, and guest vocalists, the Undead Generation has become known locally for rocking the stages at Champs Bar and Slipstream Sports Bar over the past decade. In addition to their Makhanda-based fame, they have…

MUSIC: BongeziweReview by JENNA KRETZMANN While waiting in the queue with fans itching to watch legendary Eastern Cape musician Bongeziwe Mabandla, I realise this would be something special – a festival highlight, a talk-of-the-town event. The undeniable buzz is bursting through the walls of Guy Butler Theatre. An audience this excited and talkative is yet to be seen at this year’s National Arts Festival (NAF).  The lights fade and the first to appear on stage is music producer Tiago Correia-Paulo, most noted for his work in film score compositions. The calm and collected artist instantly grips the audience with the…

ART WALKABOUT: Buhle Siwani’s ‘Iyeza’ walkabout at The Black Power Station Review by SAM VAN HEERDEN In the large upstairs room of Makhanda’s abandoned power station, projected films permeate the space, from its concrete eaves to the floor beneath our feet. Women dance and drum in moving waters, ground down their feet into the earth, and intertwine with the shadows of trees, dancing with the light. Ethereal sounds fill the spaces in between. We take off our shoes and slowly enter the shallow sea on the floor, soft ripples circling out, immersing ourselves in this sanctuary. Buhlebezwe Siwani’s exhibition, Iyeza, is both…