Hani alive on stage

Musical targets the young and hip

ANC stalwart Chris Hani’s life and political story has been turned into a hip-hop show.

Titled Hani: The Legacy, the musical was created to honour one of the Struggle martyrs in SA. It will be staged at Ramolao Theatre in Newtown, Johannesburg, from Tuesday, starring a youthful cast.

Director Leila Henriques said: “Although Hani’s name and the circumstances of his death are well-known, his life story does not often receive the same attention.”

Linda Tshabalala, the assistant director, said they used hip-hop and rap to tell Hani’s story because the genre appealed to South Africa’s young audience.

“With this story we are targeting the young audience, and the only way we can make them listen is to tell it through hip-hop.

“Remembrance through performance is the perfect way to bridge the time between South Africa’s historical icons and the current generation of born-frees.”

Tshabalala said that the show was inspired by the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the US.

“We felt that he [Hani] was influential and his story has not been told properly. He stood for what he believed in at a time when it meant death.”

Henriques added: “Hani takes the audience on a breathtaking journey of the rural boy who became a revolutionary, the freedom fighter who became a father, and a husband who became a hero.”