"IN THE BEGINNING..." K’NAAN

As a journalist for New Nation’s New Word Order; every week I covered artists that were part of the festival. I had done an international feature on South African Poetess Napo. She belonged to a collective in South Africa that really broke barriers for female artist. The role of wordsmiths has a special place in the fabric of South African culture, and these voices were the voices of protest during apartheid. Though as with most things there were few female artists young girls could look up to as role models, so Napo along with Lebo Mashile, Myesha Jenkins and Ntsiki Mazwai formed Feel a Sista poetry collective and together they stormed the arts, TV, universities and theatres. They became the role models they had once sought. Whether collectively or individually they branched off and did their own thing and were equally successful. Although multi talented in various arts Napo said that poetry more than any other genre paid them the most money. She had developed a one woman show that was premiering as part of the festival called “My Bum Is Genetic.”

The 45 minute piece focuses on the problem she’s had as a result of inheriting the trade mark feature of African women; a large bum. Well, what can a man, an African man at that say about the show? I told her I couldn’t realate to the issue. A big, large, enormous behind is an asset to be praised. However Napo skilfully took us through the ups, down, laughter, irony and sadness of having such an obvious body part. Of course I had trouble empathising, but when the story diverted to talking about the role of parents, I understood. She had got unwanted attention, interest, insults, mockery and embarrassment as a result of a large behind. However, she said all this would not have mattered if her father was around to tell her he loved her, that she was beautiful, because she would’ve had the comfort of knowing that the most important man in her life loved her regardless of her physical anatomy. It goes beyond having a large bum. It’s what dark skinned sisters feel being too dark, what light skinned people can feel being too light, what short people or tall people can feel. It’s the comfort of knowing regardless of what random people say you have an environment that know you and love all the traits you have, it fills you with a natural self confidence.




I was happy South Africa was representing, for beyond Mandela’s meteoric rise from prisoner to leader, and then his 90th birthday party celebrations, little is known of the real South Africa. How South Africans are coping with post apartheid life from the mouth piece of South Africans. That’s why artists are so important. Audiences can tune in and hear the heart beat of a people, and Napo broke down many things, from the relationship of Winnie and Nelson to problems of Xenophobia. My weekend had just begun, and I was ready for more...