Ngema is on hand at screening of Asinamali
Renowned playwright tells of his amazing 40-year journey
THE STEVE Biko Foundation is hosting a public dialogue and screening of the film Asinamali with renowned South African playwright, lyricist, composer, director and theatre producer Dr Mbongeni Ngema.
This was scheduled to happen at the Steve Biko Centre in Ginsberg, King William’s Town, today.
Ngema, who is celebrating more than 40 years in the industry, described his journey as fulfilling.
“It has been an amazing journey; the journey of educating and entertaining people is a fulfilling part. The fact that even at this point in time, people are keen to see my work, it is a dream come true,” he said.
Ngema said one of the highlights of his career was producing different theatre plays and being part of the theatrical classic Woza Albert, which was also staged at the Steve Biko Centre last year, in partnership with the Market Theatre.
“Woza Albert was a breaking-ground production internationally. It is the one that launched me internationally. And Asinamali is the one that launched me on Broadway, so both these productions are close to me and important in my career path,” said Ngema.
Asinamali is about comrade Washington (Ngema), a black Struggle activist who returns to South Africa. His mission is to work with convicts to create a musical play.
The interwoven stories emerge all the way from the Lamontville rent strikes of 1983. Through personal testimony, song and dance, the prisoners find resilience, liberation and forgiveness, with the forces of resistance being represented by a singer-activist named Soweto (Danica de la Rey).
They face the cruel wrath of the prison authorities as the play comes together, culminating in a performance for a stunned audience of their oppressors.
The inmates tell their stories, claim their history, and dance back their identity.
Ngema said his character in Asinamali was influenced by a friend.
“Asinamali is influenced by a friend of mine, a great American actor, Charles Dawson, who came from prison himself. And from then he started changing the lives of the people out there, using theatre so that they avoid going to jail.
“So the character I play is of a guy who is a South African but who lives in the US. He was an MK soldier, arrested in America, then after that he learnt the art of rehabilitating prisoners using the medium of theatre and entertainment,” said Ngema.
The senior programme manager at the Steve Biko Centre, Bokang Pooe, said they had decided to host Ngema because of his excellent work and contribution towards the Struggle.
“This is one of his stellar works that has been translated to film. We thought it would be really good for the general audiences to have an interaction with him. Dr Ngema is one of the prolific art practitioners in the country,” she said.
Pooe added that there were a lot of similarities between Steve Biko and Ngema. She said telling African stories and making the black nation aware of their past was what the two icons had in common.
Ngema, who has won many local and international awards, said he would like to be regarded as someone who played a huge role in the liberation Struggle through art.
“I would like to be remembered as someone who not only contributed to freeing black people from oppression in South Africa, but also as someone who has been very useful in developing the youth of South Africa through art.”
This is one of his stellar works that has been translated to film