The story of the life and career of the Grammy-award winning singer and civil rights activist, Miriam Makeba, is delightfully told in Mama Africa The Musical, written and directed by Niyi Coker Jnr, winner of the Washington DC Kennedy Centre Award for directing.
The production parades top performers including Jennifer Pau-Kakazam whose credits include Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She has also done voice over work, background vocals and acted in films, series, and musical shows. Simangele Mashazi is a talented singer/songwriter, who has performed on various stages at festivals including the KKNK, Woordfees, the Artscape Youth Jazz Festival and Darling’s Vooorkamer Festival. Most recently she shared the stage with the Ramon Alexander Quartet at the 2016 Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Phelo Nodlayiya has performed roles including Osmin from Die Entfurhung aus dem Serail and Coppelius from Tales of Hoffman to mention but a few.
Cross-continental cultural project
The cross-continental cultural project started three years ago as a collaboration between the University of Missouri, St. Louis USA, and the University of Cape Town, South Africa with the collaboration of the ZM Makeba Trust.
The maiden show of the 40-person cast with an international crew musical was at The Great Hall, University of Western Cape, South Africa in May 2016. It later proceeded to tour the USA at The Anhuesser Busch Theatre in the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Centre, University of Missouri Campus, St. Louis and the Skirball Performing Art Center, New York City.
After these successful runs in the academic circuits in both South Africa and the USA, Mama Africa The Musical has been repackaged for wider public showing starting with its scheduled run at Artscape.
Professor Coker (Jnr), the E. Desmond Lee Distinguished Professor of African/African-American Studies, Theatre and Cinema Arts at the University of Missouri, Saint Louis did extensive research into the life and career of Miriam Makeba, especially her role in the struggle against apartheid. Makeba’s life story illustrates the resilience of the African spirit, her artistry and her positive, forward looking spirit.
Mama Africa The Musical is billed to tour the United Kingdom in March, and Nigeria in May 2017.
Where and when: Artscape from 2 – 12 February
Book: Computicket
WS
