Upon entering the Nimoy Theatre the audience was met with the contagious good will and effervescent personality of Gregory Maqoma. His warmth and attention to each person as they entered the space was remarkable. It was as if we were being welcomed into his house. He was joined in his hosting by Viwe Siyabonga Mkizwana and Simphiwe Sanele Sikhakhane. The three of them had a running act that was built on improvisation and sing-song refrains.
After the house filled Maqoma announced that the evening would be relaxing, based on the concept of all participating in the now, and that “this room is the safest place in the country.” After a burst of laughter, we all agreed with him. The stage was set with a circle lit from without with a table upstage where there were laid out various piles of sand and seed and it turned out later, flour. To the right and left of the circle were positioned two boxes for Viwe on the cello and Simphiwe on vocals.
“The Land We Carry” by Gregory Maqoma – Screenshot courtesy of CAP UCLA.
Viwe on Cello was poetry made manifest in movement. His contortions and grappling with the cello aided in his soundscapes and offset the movement of Maqoma. Simphiwe on vocals was impressive, and his sound effects were perhaps only matched by Mel Blanc. Indeed, his soaring high notes and rapid-fire consonant rhythms were wondrous to hear as well as behold. The three in tandem created the moving ritual of the evening.
Maqoma’s accent from Johannesburg South Africa renders his speech pattern poetic, sharing with the others a lilting, lightness even when discussing serious issues. All three share a lovely sense of humor which balances some of the heavier themes. Throughout the evening’s performance they initiated some ritual, quoted from the Bible, created a personal soundscape for the theatre, qualified the time spent with the audience through respectful awareness, and grounded all in being here now on this land we carry with us wherever we go.
“The Land We Carry” by Gregory Maqoma – Screenshot courtesy of CAP UCLA.
Their costumes were black slacks with button-down white shirts, elegant and adaptable. Much of the movement vocabulary had a conjuring effect, a summoning or calling forth. At one point Maqoma dances with a woman to the clapping and cheers of the audience, and later with a man who matches him in focus and intensity. He wraps a rope around his waist and the imagery is of a bound prisoner, then in the next instant uses it as a jump rope to emulate the carefree play of a child. The sand is spread out on the floor to mark a story. The seed is spread out for another. At last, the table is used by the three of them to knead and make bread in a communal effort while talking and sharing with the audience. Great fun!
“The Land We Carry” by Gregory Maqoma – Screenshot courtesy of CAP UCLA.
It was an evening centered in beautiful sharing and acknowledgement without becoming maudlin. The work was mesmerizing and full of love. It was also the last time Maqoma would be performing live as we were told that he is focusing on other aspects of his career and talent from this point on. He is passionate about working with children and helping them along, his VIP’s as he put it. He has a school and a company to continue his work and shall be busy with that.
“The Land We Carry” by Gregory Maqoma – Screenshot courtesy of CAP UCLA.
I feel grateful to have witnessed this special event from these three very special artists. Alas, when I despair I can remember what I witnessed in that theatre and call upon that memory to sooth myself that Art does go hand-in-hand with love, which is really the whole point.
To learn more about CAP UCLA, please visit their website.
For more information on The Nimoy Theatre, please visit their website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: The Land We Carry by Gregory Maqoma – Photo by Helen Griffith.
