Traditional dancer spreads message of ubuntu in France
An award-winning Gqeberha dancer is spreading the SA message of ubuntu during his 72-day tour through France.
Mninawa Mangweni is part of the Humanistic Wind of Soweto group which is proudly showcasing SA’s heritage through traditional dance, singing and the playing of drums.
Apart from performing, they have also visited schools, conducted workshops, and taught the different art forms from the Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho and Tsonga cultures.
Mangweni, 42, left SA for France on March 4.
He said he was over the moon about the abundance of opportunities, labelling the experience as priceless.
He said it had also afforded him the opportunity to provide for his family back home.
The tour is being funded by the profits they made from their previous tour to France in 2022.
As the group travel from city to city, living in apartments, hotels, and with various hosts, they aim to teach the French more about SA. The tour ends on May 8.
“It’s so exciting. We have already been to different cities such as Valence, Nimes, Toulouse and Narbonne. We stay in each place for two to four days before moving on to the next town.
“So we have been meeting new people weekly.
“We are spreading the message of ubuntu and unyamezelwano (tolerance) through our stories.”
He said the stories were told through traditional and African gospel music, dance, and drumming.
“We have also given master classes, presented workshops, performed in shows, and visited schools where we taught and performed with the children,” Mangweni said.
Travelling is nothing new for Mangweni who, over the past three years, has choreographed and performed in Tunisia, Canada, Scotland, Italy, Belgium, Russia, Spain and Switzerland.
His next stop is Spain, before heading to Thailand in August.
The dancer, marimba player and drummer, who is also involved in theatre, said the citizens of France exhibited respect for South Africans.
He said this was partly because of the history of the country, as well as the work of former president Nelson Mandela.
He said various French organisations, roads and buildings, had been named after Mandela.
“SA musicians and dancers
are appreciated in Europe,” he said, adding that a highlight was performing at a gospel festival at Ville de Tournefeuille in southwest France on March 16.
“There were groups of up to 60 people performing, while we only had four. But they could not stop talking about us.
“I wish more people knew how much South Africans are loved here,” he said.