By What the Hill?

From Prince Albert to South Africa

Feb 7, 2011 | 2:14 PM

For the first time since there was Oompa Loompa’s on stage at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre, I went to see a performance that wasn’t work related.

On Saturday night I saw Memeza Africa. It was fantastic. I’d forgotten how much I like live theatre and musical events.

It was great to dress up and go out, as I find opportunities like that can be few and far between. The snow did make me second guess my decision to wear heels —I can tell I’m not quite adapted to

Prince Albert life as several women were wearing boots with their dress pants — but the blowing snow was forgotten as soon as I got inside.

For nearly two hours including a 20 minute break, the audience was transported to South Africa with colours, music and dancing, by an ensemble led by South African singer-songwriter Jimmy Mulovhedzi. It was fused with the work of Canadian artist Holly Wright.

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Along with hearing songs about unity and acceptance in both countries, we got a glimpse at South African history and culture.

Memeza Africa did a version of Miriam Makeba’s Click Song, in one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, Xhosa, which would have made the Grammy Award winning Mama Africa proud.

Mulovhedzi gently poked fun at the Canadian audience, saying they knew all 11 of the languages, but most Canadians only know one of their two official languages.

The ensemble went on to prove it by singing songs in Zulu and many in English.

A highlight for me and many in the audience was watching three members perform gumboot dancing, when the stomping mixes with the rhythmic clapping of hands and slapping of the boots to make the music.

It took me back to the summer, before I moved away from Victoria, B.C., when I joined a gumboot dance troop. Mulovhedzi said that you cannot be sad when you are gumboot dancing and he’s right.

The summer I spent wearing jeans, a black t-shirt, a colourful bandana and gumboots was one of my favourite.

Gumboot dancing originally started with in the mines of South Africa as a way for men to communicate and forget how much this miss their families. They’d often work away from home for up to 11 months at a time.

The dances also became a big part of the anti-Apartheid movement in the country.

The only thing that stopped me from wanting to join was my inappropriate footwear and a healthy sense of self-preservation —it has been several years since that summer.

Memeza Africa are helping their own communities as much as they are teaching communities around the world about their home. The ensemble members were all recently trained as HIV councillors, allowing them to help address the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa.

CDs they sold at the end of the night had music from the anti-Apartheid movement, a battle that many say was won by song. Mulovhedzi said their hope is that with this CD they can start winning the battle against HIV.

I’m sure there wasn’t a CD left as people lined up to support the organization that for a few hours took us to the plains of South Africa and away from the snows of Prince Albert.

I find myself checking to see what is coming to the centre next.

ahill@panow.com