Canadian experience great eye-opener - Berman

Gasebalwe Seretse
Correspondent | Thursday November 25, 2010 00:00

 

The main aim of the just-ended project was to give Aboriginal youth a platform to collaborate and share experiences regarding their artistic works and challenges faced by their respective societies.

Speaking to Showbiz in an interview in Gaborone yestertday, the talented artist said that he had a cultural awakening during his stay in the North American country.

'I have found out that people all over the world are after the same quest of rediscovering their identity and roots. 

I have also realised that Filipinos, Hondurans, Chileans, Guatemaleans, Canadians and Batswana are all in search of their culture as we have woken up to find that it is perishing at an alarming rate,' he said adding that he also discovered that he was given a lease of life in order to continue the legacy of his ancestors.

Berman further said that one of the lessons that he learnt is that artists need to identify their strengths and nurture their artistic talents before they could seek recognition and fame. He pointed out that after one gets the necessary recognition, he or she needs to systematically develop his or her gift for it to stay 'fresh' and visible through generations.

'I have also learnt the importance of releasing the album is not really about the sales but it is about the massage that you are sending to the market,' he asserted.

According to the artist, First Voices was a five-year project designed for Aboriginals and that on its first year brought together multimedia personnel, on the second year it brought together visual artists, the third year musicians, fourth year dancers and fifth year it brought together all the participants.

'The project has come to an end, but we, as the participants, are expected to guide our communities and impart what we have learnt at First Voices,' he said.

Berman further said that he enjoyed his stay at Canada because the people there were welcoming. He said that he found out that Canadians were unassuming and that they were enthusiastic to learn new things from other artists.

He also said that he was greatly impressed by the cityscape and the landscape of Halifax where he was based although the place was too cold.

Berman is currently in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he is working on a stage production called Kgolo produced by Karabo Kgokong and written by Kgokong and Martin Koboekae. According to the artist, he is directing music, choreographing and performing in the show.