Young musicians to perform Sarafina at Braeburn Theatre

A production by Spellcast Media will be staged at the Braeburn Theatre on Saturday and Sunday, 24 and 25 October.

Protest

The deeply moving yet entertaining play is set at Morris Isaacson High School in the township of Soweto, Johannesburg in 1976 as students assembled to protest against the decision by the apartheid government to make Afrikaans the language of instruction in all schools.

The protest takes a political dimension as the students fight to have a decent living in their own homeland. Through narrative, song and dance, Sarafina follows the activities of the boys and girls led by the main character and her classmates in the struggle against apartheid.

Written and directed by legendary South African Mbongeni Ngema, the play was adapted into a film in 1992 starring Leleti Khumalo playing the title character alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Miriam Makeba with music by Hugh Masekela. Khumalo had played the same role in the original stage version.

Sarafina is a bittersweet story. There are emotional scenes like the funeral of several classmates killed by riot police during a demonstration but there is also the rousing mbaqanga music of the townships like the title track “Sarafina” or “Freedom is coming tomorrow.”

As Ngema wrote in the original programme notes, he set out to celebrate the music of the township streets but also the power of the children in the fight against segregation.

Church choirs

The original cast of 23 young men and women, in their teens or early 20s, whose only experience was singing in church choirs or appearing in school plays was chosen after months of auditions all over the townships.

There can be fewer reminders of the scars of apartheid more powerful than the cast scattering across the stage in the face of police gunfire and tear gas or when the children stand before an open grave or gather on the playground to meet a classmate who has just been released from police cells.

On the other hand, it is impossible to forget the young dancers in matching bowler hats, ties and uniform sweaters singing a fusion of traditional South African music and American pop and jazz.

Students

In the Spellcast production, Andrew Tumbo directs the music, the acting is directing by Dennis Saitabau while Adam Simwa oversees the choreography.

The group, which comprises students in various fields, produces two major musical performances per year, along with concerts and other shows. Tumbo, who founded the group, has been performing choral music with Strathmore School Choir and arranged and composed award-winning songs at the Kenya Music Festivals.

They chose Sarafina because they feel that though the musical is set in apartheid South Africa, the themes are relevant to students today who face different struggles in their path to education.

“It is a story that resonates with people all over the world, no matter how many times it is told,” says Abigael Kamau. “We have added some twists for dramatic effect like introducing the character of a female preacher, but our show remains true to the original story.”

The cast, that includes the instrumentalists, has spent the past several weekends in rehearsal with a minimum of 4 hours per session in singing practice (voice warm up and learning the songs), acting (getting deep in character) and dance instructions. Besides the group rehearsals, every member of the cast individually devotes time to rehearse their lines and research on their character.

“I think it is revolutionary,” says Miriam Koske of her role as Sarafina. “The character becomes me. The growth of Sarafina into a strong fearless girl has such a huge impact on anyone who steps into the role.”

Mandela

Sarafina remains as relevant and powerful today as it was almost three decades ago because the story of how schoolgirls and boys stood up against the might of the apartheid system represents the values of defiance, determination, perseverance and courage against repression.

It is well worth remembering that it was not long after the children in Sarafina sang ‘Bring Back Nelson Mandela” that the great man walked to freedom unbowed after 27 years in prison.

There will be two shows each on the 24th and 25th of October at the Braeburn Theatre, off Gatanga Road. Tickets cost Sh700 (advance) and Sh1000 at the venue.