To honour a brother moved on

THE QUEUE outside the Goodman Gallery winds down the path past the free wine into the parking lot. Young and old fans of the Brother Moves On have come to see the eclectic band’s exhibition at the Rosebank gallery.

Only 15 are allowed to go in at a time. Those who missed the opening last week hoped to get a look at Hlabelela: It’s a New Mourning Nkush.

Hlabelela means “to sing, to express oneself in the unitary practice of a collective happening”, the type of singing at black funerals and though the walls were white with gold writing, a pall of mourning hung over the space.

A few years ago, the founder of The Brother Moves On, Nkululeko “Nkush” Mthembu, died. From then, their name became a prophecy. Fast-forward to Saturday, when lead singer Siyabonga Mthembu ushers us into the gallery. “Step into the white space, ladies and gentleman,” he shouts shrilly.

From then, the whirlwind tour is paired with instructions.

Leave them a message in the gold outhouse toilet shack that houses a camcorder. Take a moment to ponder on the shrine. Listen to Zweli Mthembu, guitarist in the Alice in Pondoland section.

He’s strumming a sombre tune in the centre of a golden windowless shack strung from the ceiling.

In the background, you can still hear the frantic drumming and moans from their drummer Sims in his part of the exhibition called Drumming and F***ing.

As you finish the tour lap, you walk underneath decaying bones, some with flesh still drying on them.

Explaining the exhibition, the band said they aimed to “question whether there really is a space for our traditions and experiences in the art world and ours being black people”. Hundreds of chattering voices that attended seemed to answer: yes.