The Voice from Kilimanjaro returns to Soweto roots
Mhlongo’s musical as relevant as ever
In honouring arts activist and politician Vusi Mhlongo, his musical play, The Voice from Kilimanjaro, will enjoy a brief run at the Soweto Theatre.
Mhlongo died in a car accident last year, just a few weeks before staging the play at the Yeoville Recreation Centre to mark the Day of Reconciliation (December 16).
After successful seasons at mainstream venues like The Playhouse, Joburg Theatre and Wits Theatre, The Voice from Kilimanjaro will run from today until Sunday in Soweto.
Mhlongo penned the musical in 1998 and it premiered in 2003 at the Victory Theatre in Orange Grove, Johannesburg.
The Voice from Kilimanjaro takes a poignant look at how South Africans relate to foreigners. It promotes tolerance, social cohesion and peace and is packed with powerful dance moves, music, poetry and acting.
According to current director Majesty Mnyandu, the play is still relevant after 20 years.
“When he (Mhlongo) wrote the play, xenophobia had not happened yet, but he had seen the intolerance among South Africans. What was prophesied in the play really happened in South Africa in 2008,” Mnyandu says.
Mnyandu feels the musical raises questions about the complex nature of xenophobia and suggests solutions.
“It focuses on a family that is grappling with the intricacies of post-apartheid South Africa, xenophobia and unemployment.”
The Voice from Kilimanjaro is about enduring love in an intolerant environment. The vibrant cast is made up of South African, Mozambican, Congolese, Malawian, Zimbabwean and Nigerian actors.
The story is about a former political activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo falling in love with a beautiful SA woman, Jabulile Mthembu, against her family’s wishes and it unravels from there.
“We decided to take the show to Soweto because the concept was initiated in Soweto. It left as a concept and comes back as a full show. Secondly, we are honouring the man who had vision – Mhlongo. This is the first time we’re staging it since he passed on.”