Exit/Exist is Maqoma’s reminder and historical testimony
by Langi Ramashia
“It’s a reminder”, echoes choreographer and founder of Vuyani Dance Theatre (VDT), Gregory Maqoma, whose immaculate artistry has conceived an historical testimony infused in culture and symbolism, through the life lens of Xhosa chief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma, his esteemed ancestor.
To speak of Exit/Exist is to actualize a musical quality that surpasses the constraints of our sheer audio input. I call for the celebration of guitarist Giuliano Modarelli for the world he unearthed, and for Simphiwe Dana’s pristine composition as translated by acapella quartet Complete. There is a visual musicality, one rich in the delicacies of the keys present in a single finger, one conscious of the body’s instrumental texture and intrinsic capacity as a narrative site.
For sixty minutes Gregory Maqoma had us arrested to our screens in quiet euphoria. Too afraid to blink, for losing a moment of his limbs, as narrators, in his carefully articulated performance.
A near barren stage is soon populated with sand, maize, black boxes and Complete’s subtle yet indispensable ensemble shadowing, as Maqoma etches the scars of his forefather’s legacy. In the laying of the wooden cattle horns, he grounds his attachment and takes upon the white cloak in fidelity to his Xhosa tradition. He encompasses a newfound femininity and youthfulness characteristic of our African identities and dance styles — an image deftly emphasised by costume designer David Tlale’s tailored genius.
The themes portrayed in Exit/Exist are indicative of a painful past. Issues of land and power still hold true to our present condition, as South Africans. As Maqoma cleansed himself with oil towards the end of his piece, having undergone his metamorphosis, I shed a tear as indeed I was reminded of the long journey ahead and the legacies we carry in our blood.
Its final broadcast will be at 12pm (SAST), and can be accessed free of charge through the JOMBA! website at http://www.jomba.ukza.ac.za.
