Niki Barker
It was the most unusual setting for a miracle. A dusty school hall, with pitted concrete floor, scattered desks and scrawled chalk on the blackboard. A small group of expectant German tourists sat sideways in the small school chairs in the damp heat of a Zululand afternoon.
And then the sound came from far away – a low hum with an off-beat: the same sound heard by the British troops as they waited for the Zulu armies in the hot sun of Rorke’s Drift. A thin line of schoolboys shuffled through the door, stamping their school shoes in time to the singing. It was spine-tingling stuff as the throb of voices echoed off the tin ceiling, filling the whole hall with a melody as old as the Zulu nation.
The show had begun, and the rickety school hall had become a sounding chamber for hundreds of years of history, and the gangling students were calling up the ghosts of their ancestors.
But this time the words were different. These songs were about modern concerns. This was not about battle and warriors and lost loves. It was about studying for exams, taking the train to the city, and – well, yes, lost loves. After all, some things never change!
The schoolboys singing the mournful isicathimiya were taking part in a unique cultural experiment. They were portraying their Zulu culture to tourist visitors — not as it is preserved in the touristy cultural villages as an historical artefact, but as part of their lives as schoolchildren.
Zulu children still sing the songs and dance the dances of their ancestors, but with some modern variations. The traditional skins are absent, as they are sometimes from endangered animals and are too expensive anyway. The words are about things that concern the modern school child, with a song about the dangers of Aids and the necessity of getting a good education. The skins and beads of the women are replaced by the school skirts and T- shirts of the little girls.
It’s a rather different approach to the accepted idea of a cultural show, and it was engineered by the chairman of the nearby Mtubatuba Publicity Association (MPA), Ida Scheepers. The MPA has a vigorous programme of tourist education among the schools bordering the famous Umfolozi game reserve. During one of her visits, Scheepers was told that the children are keen to meet the tourists that they see drive by on their way to the game reserve.
With the enthusiastic backing of the educators and their parents, Scheepers co- ordinated a programme of school concerts, specifically aimed at capturing the sightseers on their way past.
Five schools have been selected for the project. Every afternoon, the pupils put on a short programme at their school. Visitors are invited to watch the singing and dancing and meet the youngsters themselves. The teachers and the school officials are very keen to support this programme, as it gives their students the opportunity to meet visitors, and encourages them to preserve and respect their own culture.
There is no charge for the shows, but donations, of course, are always welcome. The money is audited and then put towards a school project such as books, equipment or electrification.
Whether the children are performing isicathimiya or indlamu, wedding songs or afro-gospel, their faces shine with enthusiasm and they perform the dance steps with gusto. An explanation of the songs and dances will be given by a handy teacher, and there are explanatory brochures available.
Especially haunting is the isicathimiya, the ancient chant performed by a group of male singers. This music form is part of the psyche of the Zulu, as it symbolises life in rural Zululand.
It is a link to his nation that is carried within the heart of every Zulu man, and whenever a group of Zulus, from anywhere in the world, get together, they will re- affirm their nationhood with the slow shuffling steps and the mournful melodies of their homeland.
– The performances start after school, at 1pm, from Monday to Friday.For more details on visiting the schools, please contact Ida Scheepers on (+27) 35-550-0385