This years Windybrow Arts Festival is jampacked with jazz, hip-hop and OJ Simpson
Luvuyo Kakaza
The house is perched on the hill. Around it, the dilapidated suburb of Hillbrow carries on with its daily grind. Throughout the year, this Victorian- style, picturesque Windybrow Centre for the Arts is relatively quiet. In March it comes to life with the annual Windybrow Arts Festival, now celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Last week, Windybrow saw its most raucous moment. Phones were down and publicists were removed from their offices to alternative spots as renovations took place. However, the festival director, Maropodi Mapalakanye, was optimistic. “Hey man, hard times will soon be joyous moments!” he exclaims. “We have to work harder than the renovators to make the programme intriguing.” Indeed, the programme promises a strong Afro-centric flavour as well as visiting artists from Europe and America.
The highlights of this 11-day festival, which started on Tuesday, include jazz piano maestro Moses Molelekwa in concert on March 17 and 18. Soweto, Soweto, Soweto – The Township Calling, which will play at the Windybrow’s Adcock-Ingram Auditorium on March 22 and 23, promises to be a moving production by the Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble from Atlanta in the United States.
“The message carried in this production is that the youth can change the world, just as the youth in South Africa helped to bring an end to apartheid,” Fredericks explains.
During the workshops, the Windybrow Theatre, the Soweto Dance Theatre and The Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble will collaborate in a musical production that will go to Atlanta next year.
An overwhelmed Hendricks says he hopes to see real work from South Africa and perhaps other new ventures will be on the cards. “I don’t know much about the arts in South Africa except what has been commercialised in America.”
Another interesting foreign work to be presented at the festival’s main programme is Sir John Leerman’s latest work, called OJ Othello. Leerman is the director of Amsterdam’s Cosmic Theatre in The Netherlands. His critically acclaimed OJ Othello interestingly draws parallels between the Shakespearean Othello and former African-American footballer OJ Simpson, who became a focus of the race debate during his wife’s murder trial some years ago.
Leerman and Hendricks will also present a series of workshops at the Uncle Tom’s community centre on March 20 and 24 from 10am. Local artists, Yvonne Sihlahla – a drama and dance teacher at the Soyikwa Institute of African – and Carly Dibakwane of the Soweto Dance Theatre will conduct workshops on new dance styles.
The workshops at the Uncle Tom’s community centre in Soweto are a collaborative effort between the Windybrow and the Southern Metropolitan Council. While the workshops will be free, they will only be open to artists representing community groups and organisations.
Coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo are Papa-Joe and Fafa, who will present their kwasa-kwasa rhythms on March 23. Kai-Kai, with kwasa-kwasa singers and dancers from Kenya, will strut their stuff on March 18 and 25.
On the local drama scene is Gamakhulu Diniso’s Koropa, which will play on March 24. The play highlights how reality and religion trample a domestic worker, who gets raped by a gang and loses her children during the political violence.
Down Below Shell House, written and directed by Darlington Michaels, is presented by the Melisizwe Community Group and looks at Johannesburg’s inner- city deterioration and the plight of homeless youth. The writer weaves in the theme of illegal immigrants and the occurrence of xenophobia.
Other musical events include the Afro- jazz outfit Chakubata, from Zimbabwe, and local Oupa Lebogo on March 24. American hip-hop rapper Toni Blackman performs on the same night. Last year, Blackman won the prestigious Mayor’s Art Award in Washington DC for outstanding emerging artist, and he has performed alongside the likes of Me’Shell Ndegeocello.
There will be music, dance and poetry programmes aimed at youth on March 18 and 25. The dramas will cost R20 and the musical events vary from R100 to R200. There will also be free open-air shows of traditional music and dance that will take place in the Windybrow car park on March 19 from 10am till late.
The Windybrow Arts Festival ends on March 25 with the presentation of the FNB Vita Awards at 8pm.