‘I am keeping a tradition alive’
HE MAY be 70, but nagara dancer Harry Rampersad can tear it up on the dance floor.
The Phoenix resident, the oldest known nagara dancer in South Africa, said his ability to perform and keep the crowd wanting more at 70 was a testament to age being merely a number.
Rampersad added that the Hindu deity, Mother Saraswathi, had gifted him with energy.
To pay homage to the goddess of knowledge, music and the arts, he often wore a crown to imitate her.
Rampersad said that while growing up, he was surrounded by an extended family who were musically inclined.
“My father passed away when I was 3 and my mother and siblings began living with my aunts and uncles in Redhill. They all loved to sing and dance.
“My mother also used to sing in a women’s group, while my uncles played music at functions,” said Rampersad.
Back in the day, he said his mom, Soojia, and uncles, who realised his talent for dancing, often took him to shows to perform nagara, while his elder brothers would play music in the band.
“Because I was small and could dance, they would make me perform.
“They felt it would be more entertaining. Anyway, I looked good and had good moves,” he joked.
Rampersad was just 7. Soon afterwards, he joined the Mayville Dancing Company for a year and at age 9 moved to the Starlight Dancing Company for two years.
He was then “head hunted” by a group from Seaview, Dube Nagara Group, who wanted him to perform with them.
“As I got older, I wanted to stop dancing, but people would come knocking at our door to ask me to perform at events and my family would say ‘never mind, help them out’. I couldn’t refuse.”
He said at one point, he had become so frustrated with dancing that he tore one of his costumes.
Rampersad attended Sastri College School until Standard 7 and dropped out to help support his family.
He worked at Natal Canvas, a shoe factory.
Expertise
Despite having worked up the courage, Rampersad had stopped performing for years when, as fate would have it, he was drawn back into dancing.
An old friend convinced him that the Royal Star Dramatic Club needed his expertise.
“I was clubbing and met this friend. He asked me to help out, so I did and I have never stopped dancing since.”
Rampersad recalled being sought after in the field.
“Everyone came knocking at my door, either for a performance or for guidance. I have trained many of the men dancing today,” he said proudly.
“I also dressed the men up and taught them how to transform themselves for their shows.”
Shortly after he began performing, he met his now wife, Shanti.
“She is seven years younger than me and used to watch us perform. I did not know this at the time.”
He said they had an arranged marriage and when he told Shanti he was a nagara dancer, she smiled.
“She didn’t have a problem with what I did because she understood my performances.”
He was 24 when they tied the knot, and Shanti was 17.
They have raised five children and six grandchildren in their 46 years of marriage.
Rampersad, who still wears beautiful crowns during his performances, said he made them.
“When I was younger, I was a little more creative. I would bend the cardboard and use wire and different beads, and now that I am older I still make crowns, but I prefer to use glue and other materials.”
In his 63 years of dancing, none of his family members, close friends or work colleagues had a problem with him performing nagara, he said.
“It wasn’t common back then, but a lot of people, especially the elders, look up to me.
“Nagara is something they heard their forefathers did and I am keeping that tradition alive right here in South Africa.”
He added: “In India, men still dance because women aren’t allowed to. Here, women would offer to make my outfits and help out wherever they could.”
Rampersad said he did not believe the tradition of nagara dancing would fade.
“I cannot see this dying in this country. Our people love it.
“The only tedious thing can be training our youngsters, but you would be surprised at how many of these young boys enjoy performing nagara.”