South Africa Takes New York, for a Month!
Two of the most iconic theaters in New York City are celebrating the 20th anniversary of apartheid’s demise and Nelson Mandela’s inauguration by showcasing one of the country’s most explosive new exports, culture. Singers and artists are gracing events backed by Carnegie Hall and Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater starting this week and running through November. The […]
Two of the most iconic theaters in New York City are celebrating the 20th anniversary of apartheid’s demise and Nelson Mandela’s inauguration by showcasing one of the country’s most explosive new exports, culture. Singers and artists are gracing events backed by Carnegie Hall and Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater starting this week and running through November.
The Carnegie Hall lovefest is called Ubuntu, Music and Arts of South Africa, which it says is about not only the two-decade mark of freedom reached by the country but also the legacy of reconciliation espoused by Mandela.
The Carnegie program – by far the most expansive in the citywide events, and covering music, movies, art and discussions kicked off on October 8 and runs until November 5.
Carnegie’s Jeremy Geffen said the festival had been planned over the past three years and comprises some 50 events.
Besides the Apollo, which teamed up with Carnegie when it heard about its festival plans, other participants in the weeks-long shindig include the World Music Institute, the famed Juilliard School, the Lincoln Center, the New York Public Library and the African Film Festival. South African Tourism and the South African Consul General in New York are co-sponsors.
On Friday (tonight), in a kind of kick-off concert, Hugh Masekela and Vusi Mahlasela will have special guests Dave Matthews and Somi. A week later, a concert will feature Cape jazz pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim, and, the following day, October 18, Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be joined by guests including Paul Simon. A closing tribute to Miriam Makeba by the Benin singer Angélique Kidjo will take place on November 5.
At the Apollo this Saturday, Masekela will host an evening of work by singer-songwriter Simphiwe Dana, the a capella group The Soil, known for its kasi soul, and hip hop artist and poet Tami Molekane.
The Apollo’s Nina Flowers said the Apollo events “will focus on today’s contemporary South African music scene and Harlem’s connection to the country.”
Geffen said the Carnegie felt it was important to focus not just on famous South Africans, but on some “outstanding artists and genres” about which New York audiences may not be aware.
“Bringing David Kramer and his band as well as the Young Cape Malay Stars introduces styles of performance unique to the Cape region; Madala Kunene and Phuzekhemisi likewise show the variety found in maskandi music, and Dizu Plaatjies and Ibuyambo the music of the Xhosa people,” said Geffen. “And it was very important to us to commission new work for the occasion of the festival which is represented in the Daniel and Christopher Hope project based on the life of Nat Nakasa, A Distant Drum.”
At the Apollo, a number of free events include Felix, Roberta Durant’s award-winning movie about 14-year old Felix Xaba, who dreams of becoming a saxophonist like his late father; and Rehad Desai’s documentary Miners Shot Down, about the Marikana mine tragedy in 2012 that left 34 people dead after police opened fire on strikers on the Lonmin mine.
At the American Museum of Natural History, meanwhile, you can see 28 Up South Africa, the fourth installment of the South African version of the famed British documentary series that catches up with the same group of people every seven years, in this case a group that were only children when apartheid ended. It is directed by Angus Gibson.
In two multimedia events staged by the Carnegie, famed visual artist William Kentridge is joined by his compatriot and longtime collaborator Philip Miller for Paper Music, an evening of films with live music performance.
On the following evening, violinist Daniel Hope curates A Distant Drum, which explores the life and times of journalist Nakasa – who, coincidentally, died in New York tragically in the 1960s after being, in effect, exiled by the government.
Two singers who debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 will be on hand. Pretty Yende will sing an array of songs by Rossini, Bellini and Donezetti, among others; while soprano Elza van den Heever will sing Handel arias and songs by Schumann and Brahms as well as three South African composers.
“Carnegie Hall wants to provide a snapshot of the dynamic and creative culture of South Africa and encourage its audiences to explore further,” said Geffen.
“Our festival seeks to capture the spirit of Ubuntu, exploring a diverse country that brings together a huge variety of people and cultures.”
For a full list of the events, click here for the Apollo events and here for the Carnegie events.