Reviews

Virginia Arts Festival: Nobuntu
September 21, 2019, Attucks Theatre
Review by John Campbell

By putting five amazingly talented women on a small stage, the spontaneous flame of creativity filled the hall to overflowing. There was a great sense of occasion!

The program was part of the 100th Anniversary of the Attucks Theatre, designed and built by black people for black performers to entertain black audiences at a time of creeping, aggressive segregation in America in 1919. One hundred years later an integrated, capacity audience gathered in the beautifully restored space to enjoy Nobuntu, a female a cappella quintet from Zimbabwe.

The singers who wrote and/or arranged the songs were on their most recent U.S. tour promoting their new CD Ababes beMbube (Women of Mbube). Mbube is the Zulu word for lion (pronounced “eem-boo-bay). This group of five women is a musical force in a field traditionally dominated by male groups. For example Ladysmith Black Mambazo who recorded with Paul Simon in 1986 on the Graceland album.

The word Nobuntu speaks of the African concept that values humbleness, love, purpose, unity and family. But tucked into their mission is an assertive insistence on equality for women. They celebrate and preserve their cultural heritage through these songs and dances, calling for change that transcends racial, tribal, religious, gender and economic boundaries.

The group's brightly colorful dresses and evening-wear were decorated with ruffles and jewelry, creating a kaleidoscope in motion. The songs are about the issues that are part of their lives. For instance, in the song Obabes Bembube the women implore radio DJs to include their recordings along with male vocal groups.

Then there was the soothing Ewuwe, a medley of traditional lullabies where the women mimed rocking a babe in arms. Umusa encourages kindness and love in all people, at all times. Another song, Moya Moya addresses the issue of a barren wife lamenting her inability to conceive and the social discrimination she experiences.

Some of our readers may remember the original click song by South African Miriam Mekeba c. 1965, sung in the Xhosa language filled with tongue clicks impossible for most of us to do. Their version is simply titled Nobuntu Click Song. A drum, hand claps and body percussion set out the rhythms that often continued in dance movements.

Sangoma healers were honored in Silele. Then there was Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready that had the audience clapping while the singers rocked the place like a revival meeting.

Nobuntu's version of Amazing Grace had syncopated rhythms, solo lines, choral phrase repetitions, clicks and bird whistles. It was an entirely new song. Their vocal range is just short of miraculous and later in the evening when thumb pianos emerged they all became percussionists.

The young women in the audience responded with great enthusiasm to the group's warmth, fierceness and take-no-prisoners attitude. Women artists, including composers and performers here, like the rest of the world, experience discrimination. Tonight was their night and we men were happy to be included.

The quintet includes Duduzile Sibanda, Zanele Manhenga, Heather Dube, Thandeka Moyo, and Joyline Sibanda and all are trained singers and dancers. Some are also poets and composers. Their encore gave us an experience of how these women approach a song: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (Graceland), written by Ladysmith Black Mombazo's founder Joseph Shabalala. If there was a competition, these women get my vote!