The Dislocation of the BLACK AFRICAN body
By Angelinah Maponya
Musa Hlstshwayo the Creative Director of Mhayise Production speaks on the process ABOMHLABA(THI)(2019), he states that the work was inspired by Indaba my children by iSanusi Baba Credo Mutwa a Zulu shaman/ healer who writes about the origins of human-kind, the relationship between ‘abantu’ and ‘the soil’ in hopes to preserve African histories. Hlatshwayo elucidates that the process of conceptualizing in ABOMHLABA(THI) was started by the sharing, between him and his performers, of their personal and social political histories as Black South Africans navigating intersectionality and what it means to be a Black African in a contemporary world.
ABOMHLABA(THI) translates as “those of the earth or those of the soil”, the title conveys powerful connotations encapsulating the core content of the performance. It explores the ideas of landlessness, displacement of Black African bodies and the continuous search for belonging in a land divided by political, and historical, borders and boundaries. Embodying these complexities are dancers Njabulo Zungu, Snethemba Khuzwayo and Aphelele Nyawose who engage us in a visceral performance.
The performance is captivating documentation of the rehearsal, divided into sections, to name a few, “Nomads on a land once familiar, the luggage we carry and the baggage we inherit”; “Education and the violence towards the Black bodies”. Each section is embedded with symbolism that frames and navigates how we interpret the action offered. The performance develops into juxtapositions of imagery, subversions of power dynamics and moments of chaos and uncertainty. The choreography uses heavy, punctuated movements with the occasional stomping and clapping, often synonymous with the Setswana cultural dance rituals that transition to light contemporary sequences often accompanied by discordant soundscapes.
The piece opens and we are introduced to the first section of the work, “The Mandela Legacy and the face of the Black identity”. The striking image we see of Njabulo Zungu, tied up in what seems like a dense rope, trying to break free while the other performers, Snethemba Khuzwayo and Aphelele Nyawose are walking with suitcases. This creates a stark contrast and sets up a motif of imprisonment and displacement projected throughout the piece.
The metaphorical use of the suitcases became a central theme in unpacking the idea of dislocation and landlessness which is expressed through sophisticated choreography that straddles both traditional African and contemporary styles and forms. The opening, closing and carrying of this ‘luggage’ in each phrase sets as a reminder of the constant displacement Black people, trying to navigate a world that is heavy with histories that have excluded, and continue to exclude Blackness.
The performance leaves you questioning, unsettled and longing for more!
Tune in at 12noon on 2 September for the repeat broadcast of Musa’s work: http://www.jomba.ukzn.ac.za
