Songs worth Singing, Words worth Saying

You are cordially invited to a Public Seminar entitled Songs worth Singing:
Restoring South African heritage music traditions

Venue: SA College of Music (C7) University of Cape Town
(opp. & behind Baxter Theatre) Rondebosch
Date: 23 August 2007
Time: 16:30 for 17:00 – 20:00
RSVP: Felicia Thomas fthomas@ijr.org.za / 021 763 7131
Petro Schoeman ghrobertson@telkomsa.net / 021 670 2011

Refreshments will be served
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The project, ‘Songs worth Singing, Words worth saying’ forms part of the Memory, Arts and Culture Project funded by the Department of Arts and Culture aimed at preserving South African musical traditions.

South African songs and poetry are a crucial part of our cultural, political and religious heritage. Like stories and games, these are in danger of being forgotten and replaced by international substitutes. Songs and poetry do not only encapsulate cultural insights but, at crucial turning points, history is also defined by them.

The Institute’s mission is to breach the racial divide – to create opportunities to build community across the old apartheid barriers. The musical experience in Cape Town, not least in traditional slave communities, represents an important thread that potentially could bind people together.

Some time ago, the musician, historian and librarian, Vincent Kolbe proposed that the best thing for the city would be if the children play music together across cultures as he did as a young person in District Six. In that way he felt children could learn about each others lives and culture. According to film-makers, Bridget Thompson and Abdulkadir Ahmed there are at least 20,000 community musicians in Cape Town

The project relies on a community-based process of steadily bringing together different musical traditions, representative of different cultural identities. Through these events young people will be exposed to the musical strengths of different communities.

A major outcome of this project would be a publication containing the lyrics and music of cultural and political songs gathered in Cape Town and surrounds, together with suggestions of ways these could be utilized as teaching aids in an educational setting. The publication would include a selection of poetry including praise songs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Public Seminar: Songs worth Singing: Restoring South African Musical Traditions

Ongoing discussions with community-based musicians and poets have led to the Institute acceding to their request to host a public dialogue aimed at bringing stakeholders together to discuss the preservation of South African music traditions. The seminar is part of the annual Reconciliation Award programme. (See attached invitation)

Words worth saying Performance poetry mentorship

Established poets, Khadija Heegers, Lucille Greef, Primrose Mwrebeni and Chris Ferndale will mentor a group of 20 emerging poets from Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein, Hanover Park and the surrounds. The mentorship programme was launched on 6 August 2007 at Catu Irish Pub in Cape Town. The emerging poets will participate in the first training session on the 17th – 19th August 2007 at Oatlands Conference Centre. Malika Ndlovu, Mavis Smallberger Diana Ferus and Melisizwe Lugulwana will perform their poetry at the workshop. After the workshop until November 2007, selected emerging poetes will receive individual mentorship from the team of seasoned poets. A selection of poetry will be performed and recorded live at a poetry evening scheduled for December 2007.
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