An Evening with Alice Walker & Company

State Theatre, South Africa

Author: Natalia Molebatsi
Photographer: Gail Smith

It is the evening of 7 September 2010, and i am on my toes at the backstage of the State Theatre. I am reading the names placed on each dressing rooms in a row. The bigger one, for the six member band Ladies in Jazz and then the room that is closer to the eye right now is that of: Professor Alice Walker. Next to that, Sibogile Khumalo, then Simphiwe Dana

I am honoured and aware that these are big shoes to fill but will not let nerves on edge take me over. It is a spiritual evening this here, a celebration of love and Word, and music. It is 7pm and the event is about to begin. The traditional Healers association is standing by to open the stage with a cleansing for the the evening, and then i shall take over to ride the night, and invite the audience to travel with me, with us, on this journey on the crafting of this page of history.

Natalia Molebatsi as MC of the evening.

The first thing i do once under the spotlight and the curtain behind me has dropped to take over the visibility of the healers who were actually sustaining my calm and clear energy - Now i am on my own - is a poem.

The audience is gazing at this woman (me) who is standing on their stage, not knowing her whereabouts beyond the flesh. I had to break into poem in order to feel the people before me, and to feed off the energy they come bearing in pockets of their hearts, and the lines between what they know as well as what they have come to fetch.

"Hello, hello"
"Hellooo" says the audience
"Hello Journey people, hello," I go on.
"Hello, welcome to these pages
These are the stages in our journey, hello...
Goodbye, i will meet you at the corner
I will find you at the fringes
At the crossroads of our prayers
I will see you at the centre of our forming
Hello Traveler woman tired
Warrior man trying into the limitless
Sky in pursuit of roots
Journey woman what are you formulations
I am searching for my foundations
I am searching for truth, i am searching
And if any of you journey traveller people
ever get to the other side
Tell them we were made of flesh and blues
Tell them we were twisted into flesh
and lust and lies
Tell them we were woven into long
tapestries who hold us up till we
can uphold ourselves
Tell them we were made of flesh and love so
Hello"

My feet are beginning to feel grounded. This is going to be a great evening. I begin

"Good evening, Sisters and Brothers, Ladies and Gentlemen
Welcome to the evening with Alice Walker, courtesy of the Steve Biko Foundation, The state Theatre and the Department of Arts and Culture".

I go on: "The women you are about to experience tonight have created a mark on our collective memory in all spheres
From the USA one of the most acclaimed women writers to come out
of our time meets South Africa's and Africa's top songstresses and instrumentalists
These women are at the top of their game, or should i rather say at the forefront of their struggle?

First I call Nkosinathi Biko, the son of Steve Biko and CEO of the Steve Biko Foundation to set the pace and context for the evening. He speaks well, acknowledges the generosity of Sister Alice, reads an excerpt from her Color Purple, and then presents the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mam' Lulu Xingwana. After the Minister's speech of promises, the night everyone came for is about to begin "kuzoshuba," i say to Nkosinathi.

Then i am back on the light, i thank both the Minister and Mr Biko for their affirming words. I am on that train again

"She has brought us Zandisile and has been soaring ever since. Her reflective repertoire has brought us The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street where she haunts us with the political, the spiritual and the human vision of Bantu Biko, and his people before him. this album is an important landmark on our cultural and artistic discourse. And hot off the press is her latest release Kulture Noir, a critically acclaimed offering of cultural revolution will lull your blues. Tonight live at the State Theatre, she is joined by the Ladies in Jazz

Each of these ladies is an adept instrumentalist and singer. Formed in 1998 by Anikki Maswanganye (drums) and Thandi Mahlangu (lead vocals and percussion), today Ladies in Jazz has grown to include Zodwa Mabena (bass), Sankie Motsei (piano), Lesego Nkonyane (saxophone) and Thope Diniso (guitar).

Ladies in Jazz

These ladies get down to the business of entertaining but also haunting the audience. When Simphiwe has left the audience with a nostalgic feeling of getting back the lives of Biko and all other fallen sheroes and heroes, it is time to introduce Alice Walker, a woman who will always stand out as an unforgettable memory in history. This acclaimed writer, critic (and criticised too for her honesty), thinker, womanist and strong mother of words will for the next 30 minutes travel through us on a journey she has been for the past 40 years and also what she has been writing recently. A journey of word, reflection and sheer creative excellence.

In an attempt to introduce her to my audience - to be brought by the traditional healers association members who are performing a traditional blessing and cleansing for her personally. Before this, i say "Multi award winning author, poet, essayist, political activist, womanist and scholar. The first black woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for her outstanding work in the Color Purple a book later turned into an acclaimed big screen release. Her first book, a collection of poetry named Once was published when she was only 24. Since then she has carved a place in our cultural, political and literary history, Some of her touching, both revealing and affirming works include in no particular order Temple of My familiar, You cant keep a good woman down, Now is the time to open your heart, Meridian and The Secret to possessing Joy. Her poetry collections following Once, include Revolutionary Petunias and Horses make a landscape look more beautiful. Her work has been taught at universities all over the world and translated into over a dozen languages. Sisters and brothers, for the first time on South African soil, I am proud to announce that she will deliver the annual Steve Biko Memorial lecture at the University of Cape Town in two days, ladies and Gentlemen it is my honour and privilege to present (ka megolokwane tu!) Prof Alice Walker."

She reads some poems, and speaks to us about love and equality. She is appealing to men to come out and take their responsibility and their place on this journey. She is giving sisters strength and love to share with these brothers. She is appealing to brothers to open up to the innocence and inner sense of children. She is calling the grandmothers to bring it all back into our hearts, into our hands - the religion of love. Her engaging with the audience is strong and sociopolitical but also humorous, this comes out in her poem "you confide in me" In the poem "The World has changed" - an open letter to Barak Obama - the audience doesn't seem to clap or cheer as much.

Traditional blessing and cleansing ceremony for Alice Walker.

Have they gotten tired of politrics? Anyway i am back again and i thank my sister Professor, activist... for her meaningful and affirming words. And it is time for the divine Diva Sibongile Khumalo to bless the stage. This evening is really sacred. I begin again:

"Her voice and talent will always be remembered on stages such as these all over the world and in critically acclaimed recordings such as Ancient Evenings, Live at the Market Theatre, Quest, and Immortal Secrets among others. Ladies and Gentlemen, this lover of jazz and words is with no doubt, the best in her game, her music is reflection, it is a breeze of calm, and a sense of roots. with a strong affirmation of self and of spirit and of ancestry. Dubbed the "Divine Diva", her voice is said to be and I believe, “one of the greatest natural instruments on display anywhere in the world” today. Ladies and gentlemen, the highly celebrated singer and maestro, Sibongile Khumalo

The divine Diva Sibongile Khumalo.

And it is a dazzle, she is performing with a piano player and later on is joined by all the outstanding women who were part of the show. Even Professor Walker is called in to come and dance. She looks a bit fragile, a bit tired and a bit old, but more beautiful than anything i have ever seen before. It is 10pm and the evening ends, or rather we all take wholes and pieces of it, to unwrap as we travel along.

Hello journey people: I am searching for my truth

Recently i read a blog article by a friend who was writing about honesty, and how hurt she was at the discovery that a close friend had been lying to her. Not knowing the reasons for why my friend had been lied to, i tried to be in both hers and her friend's shoes too. While naturally sympathizing with the one who has been betrayed by dishonesty, because no one deserves lies as we understand the wounds these and secrets inflict on the inner self. I also tried to explore reasons why people lie - endless. Excuses covered in "protection of others' feelings" - but in actual fact top on the list of selfish reactions. I started thinking about how many times i had withheld my emotions and truth in order to please others, or lied for fear of taking responsibility for my actions, as well as perceived judgment from others. Most people want to belong, to be loved, and to feel the warmth of others and therefore try and not disappoint perceived and actual expectations from their relations. Hence most people lie to their closest and most delicate relations with excuses ranging from fear of rejection, "what is not known doesn't hurt", awaiting the "right" moment, denial, and, an inability to take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

I felt for my friend and the kind of betrayal she might have felt when her own friend could not come clean and confide in her. How was she supposed to support her friend if the latter was hiding information from her, and how can this person be trusted again? Many times though, we lie or withhold the truth because of fear of rejection, or because we want to protect the ones we love. How many times have we heard the saying "The truth hurts"? where we hide our feelings as they might hurt our loved ones? We therefore bear the heavy weight of knowing that we are not honest. And what about the saying "the truth shall set you free"? These statements sound cliche but think about the many times a heavy load was lifted off your shoulders or an empty existence filled with purpose after disclosing a disturbing or haunting truth. Suddenly your journey smoothing by the relief of having no need to constantly keep secrets, omit facts from experiences, guilt and shame or even boiling up (or freezing) alone within.

Secrets are kept by us or from us in order to protect someone or something, in order to keep an illusion or blurred vision unexamined. After reading my friend's post, i looked back to trace any truth that i might have covered somewhere or some lie i told in order to protect me or someone i love. These reflections send me thinking of how people can be damaging to their lives while in the illusion or attempt to "correcting" them. It is this same act of "correction" that if unexamined might turn one's journey into the search for "purity" and "perfection" - which any progressive person knows are yet another lie. The truth is often unsettling but real, and people are able to receive support in order to overcome their predicament or the strength to face their mistake. How can we learn lessons from our encounters and our mistakes if we are unable to share them? Once one gets used to the facts, the correct story, laid with emotion - whether confused or not - the more one becomes comfortable and closer to their center. I have lied, and have held truth from people i love more than life itself in order to protect myself from consequences (meanwhile believing that i am protecting them). During my examination and reflections, i find it apparent that the act of lying is rooted in self loathing, anger, denial, and inferiority complex - insecurities best combated by living life on a path that keeps ones from reacting with fear but rather with love.

WOMEN'S WORDS: AFRICAN WORLDS

In the quest to renew dialogue between African women and those of African discent from other parts of the world, the Department of Arts and Culture in collaboration with the Windybrow theatre organised the Women's Words: African Worlds symposium.

On 25 and 26 August, the Windybrow theatre was abuzz with new and old voices paving a way ahead, addressing issues prominent in the world of an African woman witer, listening to one another's story (which represent the social dynamic from where they arise) as well as reaping new inspirations from one another's imaginations. South African writer Zukiswa Wanner chaired one of the panels on the programme where legendary writer Lauretta Ngcobo (SA), Lola Shoneyin (Nigeria) and Shailja Patel (USA/Kenya) among others spoke on Dreams Dialogues and Realities: Fictional Voices. Other sessions included " Writing the self and others" where acclaimed journalist Masechaba Moshoeshoe was facilitator and panelists included Botswana's Seathlolo Tumedi and Leloba Molema as well as South Africa's Liesl Jobson

As much as most of us in the writing community i heard much late about the symposium, the invitation did reach me and was honoured to share the stage with these giants on the evening of 25 August. Right there a little feather stroke me hoping that the ministry of Arts and Culture will see the need for its continued support within women writers worlds, especially Black women, as opposed to creaming our intellectual curiosities and needs in August as that is designated for "women issues" and then leaving us to the normal corners we travel in during the rest of the year.

I commended them for a lovely evening of readings and the quality of writers on the programme. The evening was laid back and reflective. I am sure we all needed that after the symposium's long listening sessions on the first day. The cultural evening included readings by some of my most favourite writers and performers. Jayne Cortez (USA) sparked the evening to a great flow. The trees, moon and stars were given new descriptions and meaning. Other readers and performers for the evening included Nosipho Kota (South Africa), Arja Salafranca (South Africa) Adaobi Nwaubani (Nigeria), Sindiswa Seakhoa (South Africa, Samira Negrouche (Algeria), Mamaati herself, as well as the evening's favourites, Lola and Shailja. The evening ended with hips moving to the groves of the pan African band.
Well done Lisa Combrink (head of Communication at the DAC). We hope this was not a once off event, that more will take place, even at the corners and fringes of our existense and that fellow writers will hear and heed the call in time.