The Talented Theatrics Of The Doubted Nicole Martinez
Spira Tlhankane | Monday April 16, 2018 18:00
She resurfaced again last year when she vowed to release 100 hit songs but she never did. Nicole Martinez has probably failed everything she had publicly set herself to do. Enough about the past and broken promises, it’s probably the now that counts for Martinez who was part of the 26-member cast of Moratiwa Musical Tragedy. Yes, most people possibly take Nicole Martinez for a joke, they have their own right but the story on the ground tells otherwise. Although the cast of Moratiwa has changed since the first time the musical debuted at Mantlwaneng Theatre in 2016, Martinez was the most recognisable face.
Perhaps Moratiwa musical, which is a brainchild of the legendary Soccer Moruakgomo has done well to give young artists exposure. The musical portrays through song, dance, poetry and narration the story of a typical ritual murder in the fictional Xhamshiko Village in Botswana.
Nicole Martinez played the role of Katso, a daughter to a businessman called Moffat who took part in the ritual killing of a young girl Gaone. Gaone never returned home after going to the woods to fetch firewood. Katso (Martinez) comes in as this naïve schoolgirl who is not aware of her father’s evil doings. Martinez managed to vividly portray the character of Katso who is spoilt as a result of his father’s dirty money. In one of the scenes, Katso got into an argument with his father over a torch and everything went south after Moffat beat her mother for interfering. For all her publicity stunts, I could have never thought Nicole Martinez could be this multitalented.
Speaking of multi talents, a musical is all about drama, dance and music all combined into one and the next chapter showed the real Nicole Martinez, the singer. She was not the R&B singer we have heard about, but she sang a gospel song to comfort Gaone’s mother Dineo who was in mourning and seeking closure. The Police had concluded that lions ate Gaone but Dineo wanted to be sure and at least see her bones.
The tone of Nicole Martinez’s voice brought both sorrow and comfort on the stage and later she hummed the sorrow away from lighted theater. Soccer Moruakgomo and his band was also able to blend in some smooth jazz sounds and the back ups singers joined in as well wearing khiba and headscarfs.
Nicole Martinez completed her package on the day as she displayed her dancing skills in the form of traditional music choreography on a jazz instrumental background. As energetic as she acted and sang, it was quite a display of impeccable talent and it is now difficult to determine her strongest point.
While all the cast members were as equally talented as Nicole Martinez, the latter expressed more hunger and given the chance she might as well fulfill her other dreams even if it isn’t filling up the National Stadium. Besides Nicole Martinez, another recognisable face on the musical was Naledi who was joint runner up of My Star in 2009 when Kitso Selato won the singing competition.