ZMirage UK Takes ‘Mama Africa The Musical’ To Cape Town

By popular demand, Miriam Makeba: MAMA AFRICA THE MUSICAL returns to its home base; Cape Town, South Africa this week courtesy of the United Kingdom office of the Lagos-based ZMirage Multimedia Company led by ace theatre technician and producer, Teju Wasee Kareem.

 

The production, which premiered in Cape Town mid last year, is coming up at The Artscape Theatre Centre after its intensive tour of Missouri and New York in October last year.

The story of the life and career of the Grammy award winning singer and civil rights activist, Miriam Makeba is delightfully told in the musical written/directed by Niyi Coker Jnr, a winner of Washington DC Kennedy Centre Award for directing.

Coker is also the E. Desmond Lee Distinguished Professor of African/African-American Studies, Theatre & Cinema Arts at the University of Missouri, Saint Louis.

The cross-continental cultural project, Mama Africa The Musical, started three years ago as a collaboration between the University of Missouri, St. Louis USA, and the University of Cape Town, South Africa with the collaboration of the ZM Makeba Trust.

Coker did an extensive research into the life and career of Miriam Makeba; especially her role in the struggle against apartheid.

Makeba’s life story illustrates the resilience of the African spirit, master artistry and positive, forward looking spirit.

The maiden show of the 40-man cast with an international crew was at The Great Hall, University of Western Cape, South Africa from May 25-29, 2016.

It later proceeded on tour of the USA at The Anhuesser Busch Theatre in the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Centre, University of Missouri Campus, St. Louis (September 15–18,^,2016); and Skirball Performing Art Center, New York City on  October 3, 2016.

After these successful runs in the academic circuits in both South Africa and the USA, Mama Africa has been repackaged for wider public showing starting with its scheduled run at the influential theatrical performance space,  Arts Cape in Cape Town.

It is also billed to tour the United Kingdom in March, and Nigeria in May 2017.

Mama Africa parades top performers including Jennifer Pau-Kakaza, whose credits include Lady Macbeth in (Macbeth), Ciesca, (Gianna Schichi);and 1^st Chercatrice (Suor Angelica). She has also done voice over work, background vocals and in acted films, series, and musical shows.

Simangele Mashazi is a talented singer/songwriter, who has performed on various stages at festivals such as KKNK, Woordfees, the Artscape Youth Jazz Festival and Darling’s Vooorkamer Festival. Most recently she shared the stage with the Ramon Alexander Quartet at the 2016 Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

Phelo Nodlayiya, who performed roles including Osmin from Die EntfurhungausdemSerail, Coppelius from Tales of Hoffman, Don Alfonso from Cosi fan Tutte to mention but a few.