Finding our commonalities
Celebrating Youth Month, Artscape is presenting a hip hop production that plays on the idea that we are all a little bit mixed up, writes Theresa Smith
ALBASTER is the Afrikaans word for “marble”, but a new music production at Artscape adds an extra “l” to change the meaning completely. Allbasters is a play on the idea that we are all baster – all mixed.
A collaboration between Artscape Theatre and (the biennial festival of contemporary theatre dance and music from Africa) Afrovibes, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the hip hop production plays with the idea that everyone assimilates a bit of cultural influence from the people we meet, whether in the way we speak, the music we listen to, the food we eat or the way we interact with the world.
Grounded in the link between Afrikaans and Dutch languages and culture, the production points out that this is what we have in common, which makes us all a bit of a mix of each other.
Simon Witbooi, better known as Hemelbesem, says he was brought in to direct the project after representatives from the Dutch consulate liked what he did on Die Afrikaansvatter, a challenging, humourous theatrical look at language.
“I’m very passionate about Afrikaans and its roots, but also its future,” explained Witbooi.
“They were looking for a show that would commemorate the link between Afrikaans and Dutch, but also to address certain things. The relationship, language, history and future.”
He’d travelled to the Netherlands before to work with musicians and artists on that side, so this was the perfect chance to draw on some of the relationships he has established.
“I do it from my opinion, I don’t try to teach from a general perspective, the idea is to work from my opinion, because that’s my truth,” he explained.
“There’s a slogan that goes with it. Allbasters – it’s a hard nut to crack. That’s the whole thing. The idea of baster is not just ethnicity. The idea is not to approach it through science and bloodlines. Baster is… prejudice distorts anyone’s perception, it’s the same with religion, sex, gender, status, age. But, what if we took the time to remove the bias when we talk to each other?
“Commonalities are important when you approach someone – the whole show is rather find someone in their eyes before you start with ‘oh, he has a beard, maybe he’s Muslim’.
“If you are up close you find identity in someone’s eyes before you look at ethnicity, before age, sex, blah blah blah.
“Okay, then you step back because there are other things you realise about the person, like, ‘oh, it’s a woman’. Step back, ‘oh, she’s a mother.’”
Witbooi attributes the germ of this idea to a panel discussion he took part in last year, during which he heard a professor explain a theory about how no person is ever just one thing: “Say, if you are a Christian, you are not purely just that because if you went to a shop and ate something that was halaal, you’ve made something that forms part of a different religious identity, part of you. So, according to that equation, you are more than just Christian, now you’re mixed.”
Witbooi is a believer in edutainment and when working on a production wants to include actions that will move the audience and cause a shift in thinking.
Allbasters is anchored by a conversation between him and Dutch hip hop artist, Skaffalau, aka Helberg: “We’re talking throughout the show about our differences and realising that we’re not really that different. Especially from a coloured perspective. I’ve been to his house parties, and met his people, it’s the same thing. I’ve been to America, met Hispanics and it’s the same thing – the dude talking with his hands, the cars, the parties. So for me, what are the challenges that these people overcame that we’re not overcoming? Those are the things we talk through on stage, and the successes and the beauty of similarities.
“You will have this, people talking about issues from their own opinion, there’ll be white dudes, an anjtie from Atlantis with no front teeth, there is an opera singer from Mitchells Plain, a Filipino girl who is Dutch, there is a Surinam big dude who is Dutch. Somebody from Worcester, they all have their opinions on sex, race, status, everything about identity.
“It’s all about that – where we find ourselves.”
Allbasters, Artscape, tomorrow at 7.30pm, Thursday at 3pm. R80 from Artscape Dial-a-Seat, Computicket.