Before Mandela was Mandela

AUTHOR: ERIC MIYENIPUBLISHER: JACANA MEDIAREVIEWER: AYANDA BILLIE

After “O’Mandingo! The Only Black At The Dinner Table”, comes “Before Mandela was Mandela”, a book of short stories that arouses a sense of humour and our humanity.

This simple-read book has no deep and bombastic English words to crack your skull. Miyeni directs you into his seeings and imaginations.

Before Mandela was Mandela” is a piece of fiction based on a fantasy future describing what Miyeni thought would happen around Mandela after his release.

The short stories were written in the years prior to the release of Mandela in 1990. This '15 short pieces of writings' book has a lot of anger too, because the time before now was infuriating.

In the introduction, Miyeni says it has been 20 years since he wrote one of the pieces. “Don’t be used”, was written when he was nineteen.

Now that he is 40, it means that some of his writings have stood the test of time.

Most of them have been published before.Miyeni says in the intro, “some of what is in this book is quite surprising, even to me”.

A lot of it will take you back to an interesting time in our history. “My life”, is a biographical piece that is in such stark contrast to “Get the hell out of Soweto”, a piece which was written over a decade later.

After reading both pieces, one realises that Eric Miyeni loved Soweto during apartheid.

But after apartheid fell, he hated it. Could it be that he could not see Soweto properly until the barrier that is institutional racism had fallen? It is amazing what the passage of time can do to one’s opinions.

The story “Love” arrested me. It is a series of three letters which include – On wishing you the very best”.

These letters reside on the border between what is real and fantasy, because love has a way of distorting reality.

But in all these pieces of love, is the intensity and beauty of the love. And there is tenderness that I often miss when I observe how hard and unloving South Africa can be sometimes.

Eric Miyeni has given us a quietly moving book that takes us back to a place we've been before to impart a lesson for living.

MUSIC

ALBUM: ZIVILEARTIST: CAMAGWINI PRODUCTION: NATIVE RHYTHMS REVIEWER: AYANDA BILLIE

The South African music industry is growing day by day. In every township you will find back yard recording productions.

Let us applaud the youth, a big 'up' to them for rising to sounds of theirs. Afrika Sabela Uyabizwa, our duty is simple, to buy local music.

Here comes another child, Camagwini, of New Brighton in Port Elizabeth. Her name reflects Africans’ connection with spiritual divine intervention and ancestral worship.

This Afro-soul female artist is as brave and daring as a stunning and imposing Nubian-looking princess.

Her soulful ancestrally textured voice challenges the listener to pay attention.

This 15-song album is lyrically isiXhosa. If I had to pick a song that tells it all, it would have to be number two – umnyama (you are black).

Not because I see everything politically, but because the song tells us what we fear to hear and say in these days because we don’t want to offend others. My favourite songs include number four – imvumi – confirming her singing ability.

Nine and fourteen will become songs that will be blasting in taxis and taverns around Mzantsi. If not now, Camagwini’s name will be written next to the songstresses of Afrika – u-mama Mirriam Makeba and Busi Mhlongo.

Bro-Pops Mohamed

Pops Mohamed with a passion to drink in the African milieuPioneer of indigenous artsPops the preserver of cultural treasuresNever mind its custodian.

Pops the griot, and the archivistHe who never ceases to hunger for knowledgeHe who never ceases to experiment

Bro Pops, the intrepidThe patriot and compatriotPops the learn it allBro Pops, the world's citizen.

Yingwani Mashaba

Homage to Gerard Sekoto

Art, music and writing was the heart and soul of your beingYours truly was never-dated concealed life of a creative geniusGod-never-forgive those who engineered the system that forced Gerard into creative exile

The art world is emptyAn art connoisseur is no moreHis creative juices were squeezed out of his bodyHe will no longer add synergy to the art fraternityHis fingers will no longer hold the brushNor bang the piano notes Whose melodious sound brought an element of eerie to our ears

Sekoto's creative prowess abscondedLeaving we art-obsessed lovers in limboDeath has drained yet another creative soulDrowned him into the world unknown

Shango! God of AfricaMay you bring his soul to rest in the mother land!

Yingwani Mashaba

Source

Numsa News