Afrikaaps (Baxter) Until April 23

Photo: Aryan Kaganof


The master narrative would have us believe that Afrikaans is the evolutionary linguistic product of the Dutch settlers. Certainly, the academic understanding of Afrikaans, the official language taught not only in South Africa but abroad, is the codified (some will also argue nationalist) project of the white Afrikaner. In so doing, a wedge was driven between the language and the identity of the majority of its speakers. There were school boycotts in the 1970s against Afrikaans as “the language of the oppressor”. In certain circles, Afrikaans is still believed to be under threat thanks to that stain.

As David Kramer and Taliep Petersen’s musical Ghoema some years ago set out to reclaim a Cape musical heritage largely written out of authorized history during apartheid, Afrikaaps is a new theatrical edutainment fighting for the recognition of how Afrikaans developed as a Dutch creolized language amongst coloured speakers outside of this white hegemony.

The first written Afrikaans was as phonetic Arabic script translations of the Qur’an over 200 years ago. The Bible was only translated into today’s official Afrikaans in 1933.

The extremely talented young cast under the direction of Catherine Henegan seeking to set the record straight are hip-hop poet Jitsvinger, singer, actor and dancer Moenier Adams, singer and poet Blaq Pearl, hip-hop artist and activist Emile Jansen, rapper and break-dancer Bliksemstraal, accompanied by composer, pianist and jazz prodigy Kyle Shepherd and musician Shane Cooper. They make a superb ensemble.

Employing music, poetry, dance, skits, documentary and interview video footage, they get their message across in a clear and humorous way. Henegan has dressed the show well, but the shape is problematic, without a coherent trajectory. Ironically, although dealing with ‘gam taal’ and street talk, it feels oddly cerebral and emotionally disinvested. Perhaps, it’s because the very good-looking cast are all male, except for Pearl. One of the principle cast members having to drop out at the last moment didn’t help.

But without a doubt this show is full of rewards and should be seen. So: “Aweh my bru! Koppel die lyne” (Hey! Spread the word).

April 19, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Closed

Kramer Pietersen Songbook (Baxter)

The Kramer Petersen Songbook
Musical legends Taliep Petersen and David Kramer worked together for two decades from 1986 to 2006, writing songs and creating musicals that have been performed to critical acclaim across the globe from Kuala Lumpur to London and New York. In memory of the late Petersen and to honour their friendship and the musical legacy of their extraordinary creative synergy, David and Renaye Kramer put together a Broadway style show of song and dance to showcase the songs from their many hit musicals. After an unprecedented success in the summer season, The Kramer Petersen Songbook now returns to the Baxter.

Except for two songs the first half is drawn from the musicals District Six (1987) and Kat and the Kings (1995). These are songs of loves and dreams. The closing number Dancing on My Own from Crooners (1992) gathers together a moving tribute to Taliep Petersen. The second half picks up the pace with vibrant ensemble numbers, the catchy beats of Ghoema (2005) and penetrating social commentary from Poison (1992).

A superb cast includes Kramer stalwarts Loukmaan Adams, Alistair Izobell and Mono Dullisear. The inimitable Terry Fortune anchors the show and even pulls off a hilarious turn in drag. Camillo Lombard leads a five-piece band with banjo, guitars, keyboard, drums and Donvino Prins’s mean saxophone. As one expects of a Kramer show, the production values are internationally high. Saul Radomsky’s set is a superlative marriage of style and function.

Petersen and Kramer’s songs are a joyous expression and reclamation of Cape culture, and they have become a part of the cultural fabric of the country. Their songbook is a gift to the nation.

April 18, 2008 | Tags: , , , , , | Comments Closed

Ghoema (Baxter)

Ghoema

Certain countries have systems in which they declare living individuals national cultural assets. Primarily concerned with the preservation of folk art, skills, creative talents and oral traditions, especially with the transfer of craft skills that are in danger of being lost between generations, the system declares individuals to be national treasures and could be enlarged to include talented individuals of the highest distinction – poets, artists, musicians, story tellers.

Having watched Ghoema the other night it occurred to me how much musical history has been lost and distorted. Culture defines our identity and the identity of communities. If people like Taliep Petersen and David Kramer could be declared cultural assets – they could devote time to their passions – which although having tremendous value for all of us – are not commercially viable to pursue. I’m sure Ghoema will do well commercially, but the work that went into it and the research backstage has been going on for over twenty years – not to mention the people out there in the communities who Kramer and Petersen uncovered. As I see it, living asset status would be a bit like being awarded a life long sabbatical.

One could argue that this could be done through funding specific research projects at universities and museums to document the skills, but there is a big difference between going out and documenting and actually having the creative talent yourself to perpetuate the art. It’s about making life sustainable for individuals that embody our cultural identity or are developing it. How else is a poet to live? Besides the concept of “living treasure” or “living cultural assets” seems like much more fun. And it has that aura of recognition – like an honorary doctorate.

Of course government must attach strings – skills and knowledge has to be imparted – but people in this category live to do that in any event.

Japan started its system in the 1950s under the onslaught of capitalism and by 1994 it had 7 categories of performing arts with 36 specific skills, as well as 39 in the applied arts held by 52 individuals and 23 groups.
The Republic of Korea by 1995 had 167 individual holders and 50 organizations. The Philippines have “National Artists” by Presidential Decree, while Romania has a system of living treasures for folk artists and France’s Ministry of Culture by 2002 had elevated over 20 persons to the rank of “Maîtres d’art”.

In South Africa the application could be particularly exciting, and I would argue should be broad and encompass several categories – including creative individuals, our Nobel prize winners in literature for instance, as well as crafters and story tellers who are under siege from modernisation, globalisation, market forces and victims of historical social engineering by the apartheid ideologues.

After all, many of these as yet unidentified living treasures – particularly those in rural areas and practising African oral traditions and crafts – don’t have proper pensions, medical aid or any kind of support in their dotage. Our approach has been to get these crafters to adapt – paint Boeings and make fine art and commercial wares. This has merit too, but some things need preservation not globalisation.

November 24, 2005 | Tags: , , | Comments Closed