Jefferson Tshabalala’s Ekasi Lam turns kwaito into a medium for critical debate
JOBURG – Set in a high school in the South-Western Townships, the production uses Scamtho Poetry as a vehicle to tell a unique township story about South-African kwaito.
Using kwaito as a lens to look at society, past and present, Jefferson Tshabalala’s Ekasi Lam’ – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito: A tale of Scamtho, Ringas and Kwaito turned kwaito into a medium for critical debate.
Shown at The Market Theatre’s Barney Simon, the production closed to a packed and eager audience, taking them back to kasi.
“Kwaito music is inescapable in this Mzansi. It is ours. A creation that was and continues to be authored by the black-lived experience, and it engages black life. In kwaito, we have a national treasure. A monument to the township, and to black life. In this era where we are in need of proposing compelling new offers to the existing and potential theatre-going market, we ought to meet abantu where they are, and kwaito is that place,” Jefferson said.
He has built a strong following for his live performances and an artistic reputation that is cutting-edge, innovative and daring to subvert various genres – as seen in the production. He’s able to create magical experiences in theatre by adding layers to the genres that he works with to subvert it and even to advance it.
Ekasi Lam featured an enigmatic Dr Tlale, a dedicated principal with the vision of building the most advanced school in Soweto, and a former learner of his who now teaches at the school, the feisty Ms Feni who looks to be a part of growing this vision by contributing a new way of looking at poetry and how it is taught by introducing kwaito to the literary syllabus. Boipelo, Liyana, Malibongwe and Khumo are the learners whose lives sit in the actual reality of the two grand dreamers.
The production is dubbed the ‘KwaitoAnti-Musical’ with an ensemble of six talented actors, including Andisiwe Mpinda, Kopano Tshabalala, Gugu Dhlamini, Mathews Rantsoma, Lucky Ndlovu and Simpho Mathenjwa.
Set in a high school in the South-Western Townships, the production used Scamtho Poetry as a vehicle to tell a unique township story about South-African kwaito and how its vast catalogue has offered timeless nuanced paintings and numerous insights about how the majority of South Africans live.
“It is an introspective look at ourselves, through our most refined lens of art. As odes go, they are lyrical, emotive texts of praise – and kwaito is just that to black life,” concluded Jefferson.
