History Revived In The Spirit Of Umoja

| Monday July 26, 2010 00:00

The Umoja show is one of the most elaborate, detailed and honest shows ever made about the history of black people in South Africa.

Umoja tells the story of Indigenous South African music right up to the modern Kwaito. During the two hour show, narrated by Penuel Bhekezitha Ndaba, the cast wears clothes collaborating with the times; from the traditional skin hide clothing to the jazz times of Sophia town, the gumboot dancing, the times of the mapantsulas and tsotsi's, the African attire fabrics up to the modern mini skirts and stilettos.

The show, held at Victory Theatre sets out to depict the true story of the history of the black South African. It depicts what the black South African did to survive and keep busy during Apartheid.

Umoja talks about how the tumultuous political changes and developments in South Africa rang in the music of that time. It talks about the time when black South Africans turned to Zion churches to help them cope with whatever was going on in their lives.

Umoja is quite a colourful event with song, dance and acting during a powerful two-hour narration.

'Although this is not my personal story, yet I see my own, the musicians' and indeed the people of South Africa's story appearing in Umoja. 'It is wonderful to be telling this story to so many different people. The young people don't know about the troubles in the past, the horrors, and the fear. They need to know.

One has to relive the past to eliminate the mistakes and shed the load,' said Hope, the musician who came up with the storyline.