The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
“We are saying enough is enough, women should stand up and say no to all forms of abuse that deprive them of the opportunity to rise and shine. We have showcased this production before during the monthly Theatre Inspired Social Unity for Community Organisation and Mobilisation (TISU.COM), Harare International Food and Music Festival, Culture Week and we will also be showcasing it at the Hurungwe Arts Festival.”MAMBOKADZI, pioneers of the dance industry, are determined to make a lasting impression on the theatre scene following their return to showbiz early this year.
The group, which made a comeback at the official opening of Harare’s new Theatre in the Park, returned with an intriguing production titled “Mama Africa”.
The production was premièred in Highfield a couple of months ago and is now being taken to several theatre venues across the country.
Mambokadzi folded in 2010 when the dance sub-sector became saturated, only to resurface this year with the focus now on theatre.
Group founder Enisia Mashusha has long been involved in theatre, though.
The musical production “Mama Africa” sees the ladies blending their peppy and captivating dance routines with some melodious vocals that tackle various issues affecting females.
The script is plain magnificent.
Written by Mandla Moyo, the play sees actresses Sphiwe Guwera, Amanda Ndlovu, Brenda Sibanda, Jesimine Moyo, Melody Mashapaidze, Pretty Sithole and Nokhuthaba Ncube exploring various challenges that women face in society.
“. . . these challenges include; domestic violence, rape, child labour as well as early marriage. However, the play also explores the happiness and the power of African women in a male dominated world,” said producer and director Enisia Mashusha.
She said their aim was to speak for voiceless women.
“We are saying enough is enough, women should stand up and say no to all forms of abuse that deprive them of the opportunity to rise and shine,” she says.
“We have showcased this production before during the monthly Theatre Inspired Social Unity for Community Organisation and Mobilisation (TISU.COM), Harare International Food and Music Festival, Culture Week and we will also be showcasing it at the Hurungwe Arts Festival.”
Mambokadzi is also working on an acapella version of the production which will be fused with a bit of traditional percussion.
And that is not all.
They are working on new theatre scripts that will be introduced in the short while.
An interesting element of “Mama Africa” is that it helps prolong the preservation of cultural heritage through the use of traditional dance routines, costumes and songs.
In short, the play has a lot of social relevance and the message is easy for people from across the social strata to comprehend.
Also, there is a bit of humour in the play as the production is centred on the raging battles between vendors and council officials.
In the midst of all the humour the ladies begin to reveal why they find themselves in the street with abuse, early marriage and failure to finish school topping the list.
The cast is doing well on the production considering their short spell in the game. But perhaps it is their previous training at Amakhosi that has helped.
“I’m flexible since as an artiste I was groomed and trained in all the forms of art from dance, music and theatre. More plays will coming as we move along,” revealed Mashusha.
