3 decades of Sarafina!
MUSIC FOR REVOLUTION: ISSUES STILL RELEVANT FOR #FEESMUSTFALL GENERATION
Another staging of one of SA’s favourite stage and film productions.
Thirty years is a long time. In 1987, Nelson Mandela was in cell 46664 on Robben Island, South Africa had a white president and Mbongeni Ngema was hustling at the Market Theatre to create a groundbreaking musical.
Fast forward to 2017 and his creation Sarafina! is turning 30 with a stage revival like no other. This month, Sarafina! is opening at the State Theatre for a second time, allowing a new generation to experience what many South Africans will never forget.
Attending the show’s preview last week, one thing is clear – this is a Sarafina! for the #FeesMustFall generation. If there’s one South African production that will get teens and twentysomethings to the theatre it’s this. The irony is that this anti-apartheid piece deals with many issues still plaguing South African society. It remains an accurate portrait of this country’s anxieties and the true potential of its future.
So what does Ngema think about Sarafina!’s relevancy today?
“Well, it’s unfortunate that not so much has changed 30 years after the birth of Sarafina! and 41 years after 1976, but we do know that it’s due to the fact that the economy of the country has had some difficulties.
“It’s not like it was 30 years ago, but I also think our government should pull up their socks and deliver on their promises,” he says.
Ngema is squarely behind the latest production and again guiding the show from behind the scenes.
This is the second time Sarafina! will play on the opera stage at the State Theatre. Its previous run was in 2004, when it attracted more than 25 000 people during its 27 performances.
Sarafina! remains a South African story that provides a clarion call for unity – as evidenced last year when the film version played on free to air channel e.tv. Sarafina! trended on social media for two days, with people again engaging with the setbacks apartheid caused, the reason that tangible anger lingers and why issues like land reclamation remain important.
Ngema’s thrilled that Sarafina! still gets tongues wagging.
“We need to embrace our history as South Africans. Learn from the past, where we went wrong so we know how to chart the way in the future.
“The theatre is one of those rare mediums where you have personal contact. An audience member gets a personal connection to a story. We’ve had more than 300 years of oppression in South Africa and a lot of stories still haven’t been told. Sarafina! only touches the tip of an iceberg.”
But 30 years on, the arts are getting more support. The latest production is backed by the department of arts and culture, going full circle from the first production
“We had no budget then. I’m telling you, the only money I ever got was R80 000 from Gallo Record company when I signed the deal for the [Sarafina!] record. That money I used to subsidise the kids for their meals during rehearsals. Then I went to Mannie Manim when he was still director of the Market Theatre and I pitched this production. Mannie embraced it but he didn’t have a budget either.
“I remember when we first opened Sarafina! at the Market Theatre Mannie and I would go to the box office to find out how many tickets had been sold so we’d know if at the end of the week we’d be able to pay the artists.”
Ngema succeeded on all counts.
The powerhouse musical took Broadway by storm in January 1988 during Black History Month, culminating in a twoyear run on Broadway in New York and a five-year tour in America.
During that time, a second Sarafina! cast premiered the second season at the Market Theatre in 1988 and went on a world tour for four years, visiting countries that included Britain, Europe, Australia, Japan and West Africa.
This success led to Sarafina! being tweaked into a feature film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Leleti Khumalo, Ngema, John Kani and Miriam Makeba, with a soundtrack produced by Ngema and Quincy Jones.
Ngema calls the current cast one of the best. “These kids are amazing. I think I have the best ever cast because they haven’t experienced this histor y . Their minds were
much
more open to suck in the information and learn from it.”
‘Sarafina!’ in a nutshell
The Broadway hit musical’s songs are performed in the tradition of Mbaqanga, fused with jazz, rhythm and blues and gospel. It’s set during the 1976 uprisings in Soweto and deals with the radicalisation of a young schoolgirl who becomes embroiled in the riots and is tortured by the South African police.
The musical is set in Morris Isaacson High School against the backdrop of students revolting against Afrikaans being used as a medium of instruction.
But it also explores the aspirations of normal children living in extraordinary circumstances.
‘Sarafina!’ facts
Sarafina! was the first South African film to be made in the country after the unbanning of the ANC and the release of Nelson Mandela after 27 years in prison.
Unlike the musical, the film was a direct tribute to Mandela, who was the inspiration for the main character in the film. played by Leleti Khumalo.
Mandela was the guest of honour at the South African premiere of the film in 1992. Also in attendance was Oliver Tambo and Thabo Mbeki.
The film version is the highest-selling video of a South African musical drama.
The soundtrack of Sarafina! is the highest-selling South African film soundtrack.
Following the musical’s release in America, the National Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) movement saluted Ngema’s work with 11 NAACP image awards.
Ngema and the cast also received a Grammy award nomination and five Tony Award nominations.
Ngema and British screenwriter William Nicholson created the film script to expand the story. The stage production is more focused on the songs featuring a fast-paced storyline.
Where to get tickets
Sarafina! officially opens tomorrow night and runs until May 20. The show is on from Tuesdays to Sundays. Students get discounted tickets at R100. Tickets are available from R120 to R180. For more information visit statetheatre.co.za.