Strong Spirits with Gentle Voices

Our public performance was a smash hit, with all the participants in the Mandela Washington Performing Arts Workshop demonstrating new teaching and performing skills showcasing traditional music and dance.

 The advert here explains our details, and the story of Nehoya, her younger sister Nkele, and the magic of the mirror that brings back Nehoya from the crocodile's house at the bottom of the river.  While the girls are fetching water, Nehoya is snatched by the crocodile, but returns at the end to the delight of her family and all the people in the village.

Our workshop and performance was held on June 30, at the College of the Arts in Windhoek Namibia.
The choir from the Spiritual Healing Church warmed up the audience with a selection from their repertoire.  There are many people in Namibia who are from China, conducting various business ventures.  So the choir here is singing a Chinese song.  I love the gentle voices of the singers, who are known for their strong and healing spirits.  

Then the entire community of teachers, college students and Police Force staff took the stage to tell the tale.  

Our village was quite unusual, as we had diverse cultural groups, including Oshiwambo, Kavango, and Otjiherero.  Our village happened to include a choir and a group of school children from Peoples' Primary School.  

 We sang our hearts out at the joyous return of dear Nehoya.  The song is called "Singahambayo Thina" (We are marching home), which is a South African freedom song.  I learned it from Carol Scott-Kassner and Pat Campbell's book Music in Childhood.  I have sung it with children, but this community harmonized it!  

So, I marched on, then Kapena and I celebrated the hard work we all accomplished by attending a choir festival led by Jeremiah.  You know me, I can't stay off the stage, so here was my goodbye with the Spiritual Healing Church choir, singing La Mmino, a song about music that Bhekani Buthelezi and Elene Cloete taught me in South Africa.  

Next time we touch base, I'll tell you all about Nairobi, Kenya, where Dennis and I arrived safe and well on Monday.