Protest / revolutionary / folk song across Africa and its diaspora carry intonation of hope, accusation, and the memorialisation of Black bodies. This tradition often scores a history of, yes enacted violences against Black bodies, but also triumphs and joy. Folk music can become a living archive of activism and instructional voicing. Meaning that through its performance instruction is given for the progression of movements by Black persons.

In this set we explore the way archives have contributed to contemporary ways of thinking, feeling and being. Dr Kholeka Shange sites the joy of movement. In Our Bodies Back a team of performers choreographers and musicians consider this as a site of protest and catharsis. Tshepang Ramoba uses his music as a contemporary reimagining of indigenous knowledge.

TSHEPANG RAMOBA IN CONVERSATION WITH DR KHOLEKA SHANGE

Earlier this in 2022 Kholeka and Tshepang met to discuss the high points of his musical career, and the particular ways he has moved to enact heretically within Pedi folk culture.

The two shared ideas about gender roles, traditional ideology, and knowledge production. The set up of this discussion disputes the conventional notion of who is an academic. While Kholeka holds a PhD in Art History and currently lectures at Wits University, Tshepang is an expert in indigenous storytelling and explores creative and subversive ways to expand this knowledge through music.

Listening to Bana Baka, and other songs

We met to listen to a selection of songs from Tshepang Ramoba’s discography. The selection begins to frame an archive and history of knowledge and storytelling through Sepedi folk music. Following this session, Letlhogonolo Moletsane, Graphic Designer and Research Assistant in VIAD, shared with us a nuanced understanding of the metaphor of the giant in Setswana and Sepedi folklore, tradition, and religion. This metaphor contrasts starkly with the hegemonic western giant.

Postscript by Letlhogonolo Moletsane

Pina e (Tselane ngwanaka) e na le dingwaga dile dintsi e binwa. Gantsi pina e e opelwa ke bana ba dingwaga tsedi kafa gat lase ga 15. Mme morago ga dingwaga dile mmalwa ke fa e fetolwa motshwameko.

Dimo ke tlhagiso ya badimo bao ba galifileng bamo naaneng ba tlhagiswang jaaka Mogologolo yoo neng e se seelele go amogela phafana/bojwala boemong jwa botshelo jwaga tselane.

Bojalwa jwa setso eleng “umqomboti” ke seno se ka nako ya maloba seneng se ratwa ebile sekase tlhokege gantsi kwa medirong/ meketeng. Lebaka ele go itumedisa ba agi ka lona, le go laletsa badimo motirong, go tlisa Tshegofatso mo lapeng, go kopa go bontshiwa tsela le kutlwano mo lapeng.

Ka nako ya fa mmaago Tselane amo neela phafana ko go Dimo fa a ne a itse gore ngwana wa gagwe o moteng ga kgetsi ya ga Dimo. Maikaelelo a gagwe ene e le go dira gore Dimo a dumele go golola ngwana wa gagwe. Leano la ga maagwe tselane le ile la bereka. Kwa bofelong Dimo o ile a amogela phafana jaaka setswa setlhabelo sa kgotso gotswa go maago Tselane.

OUR BODIES BACK

Our Bodies Back stages the work of acclaimed American poet and performance artist Jessica Care Moore in a breath-taking new dance film from Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Jonzi D.

Created during lockdown, this film is choreographed and performed by Axelle ‘Ebony’ Munezero in Montréal, Canada; Bolegue Manuela (b-girl Manuela) in Hanover, Germany; and Nafisah Baba in London, UK.

Our Bodies Back presents a powerful rendering of Black women’s voices; speaking out against the realities of anti-Black racism, misogyny and sexual violence, while uplifting and honouring in full the Black lives and memories lost, in a stunning ceremony of dance, spoken word and visual art.

With soundscape design from Saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch and poetry by Jessica Care Moore, Our Bodies Back is an empowering ode to Black womanhood; affirming experiences of pain and trauma as well as pride, power and beauty as lived by generations of Black women all over the world.