Teamwork: Form, Norm, Storm, Perform

The team is now together for our multiple projects.  The first event is described here, followed by a week of masterclasses, performances, and panel discussions.   From the time of this writing it is about 48 hours from now.  Teamwork is sometimes described as forming, norming, storming and finally: performing.  I'm hoping that now we have formed, we will quickly norm, avoid much storm and get on with the performing in time for our first public event.  Dennis Mills is not listed, as he is a "behind-the scenes" team member.  He is photographing and video-recording all of it!

A Warm Welcome in KwaZulu Natal

Mr. Bhekani Buthelezi and Suzi working on a Ph.D. proposal for the University of Zululand

The long journey from home in Boone, NC, USA to the beautiful port city of Durban, South Africa took about 30 hours , which included three airplane rides and a good deal of ground transport.  My first reward was an early morning meeting with Bhekani Buthelezi, a faculty member at the University of Zululand who came to Durban from UniZulu to attend the South African Society for Research in Music Congress with Dennis and myself.  The conference opened with a lecture given by Dr. Louise Meintjes on the topic of Ngoma performance practice, a type of Zulu warrior dancing, in which the dancers both compete and inspire each other through their singing and drumming.    The entertainment that followed included an amazing array of South African dance, drum and song styles...an aesthetic feast.

Re-enactment of Ngoma Music and Dance during competition at the Old Mutual National Choir Festival.  Photo by Dennis Mills. 

  

Top of the World

And another South African adventure has brought us to our last day in our 2017 trip to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, South Africa.  Sitting in the Bloemfontein airport Mugg & Bean cafe with Elene and Dennis, I'm typing up one last comment before boarding the flight to Johannesburg, and then the long haul to JFK.

Our last sight-see at 7,000 feet at a mountain pass called Otto du Plessis.  What we can see there is a vast portion of the Eastern Cape, including the Indian Ocean behind us on a good day.  This area of South Africa includes the formerly named Transkei and Ciskei, where homelands or Bantusans were established for the relocation of Xhosa speaking black South Africans.  Nelson Mandela's original home was in the Transkei.