adminNkosilesisa Ncube, Sunday Life Reporter
LOCAL Imbube group Sunduza will mark the end of the year with a performance that is a reenactment of its original stage performance, Injabulo which was first staged in 1992 in the United Kingdom.
The remake of Injabulo will be on 20 December at Bulawayo Theatre and is open to audiences of all age groups and has according to Sunduza been transformed into a wholesome family show.
The original show was a celebration in song and dance that told the story of a struggling musician who had to seek work in the mines of South Africa before success. His journey was an imaginative one before he achieved fame on the musical stage as his dreams go in different directions. Today it has transformed into an enjoyable family show.
A Press release from Sunduza revealed that the new group with stunning new costumes bring Injabulo 2000 back to the stage with some new and inevitably younger members who have stepped up to the challenge.
“This is a production for the young through music and dance that tells a story. It employs a large range of dances, colourful costumes and masks scintillating harmonies,” reads the Press release.
It was, however, impossible to reassemble the original cast as there have been changes to the group since the first performance. Some of the original cast members have left the country while others have sadly died. However, the group maintains that the quality of the show has not been in any way compromised and the spirit of the original show still lives on.
Injabulo received critical acclaim in 1992 when the show toured Devon, Aberdeen, London and Sheffield City in the UK.
From there, the show toured various cities in Canada, went to the Singapore Festival of Arts, various stages in Europe and now looks forward to a new touring cycle with its strong educational output.
Put together by English producer Phillip Weiss, the new rendition of the show promises to be stellar performance with original Sunduza members Bekithemba Sibanda, Khaliphani Ndlovu, Baphi Fafasa and Peter Ruwanga who have managed to keep the Sunduza amid their individual endeavours being part of the production process.
Apart from the regular shows that Sunduza presents at Hyde Park in Pumula, the group has had two major shows this year, each gaining considerable reception from the public. Earlier in the year, they relaunched Voices from the Rocks: The Story of the Matopos. Then in July Matata- the Big Problem had its first outing at the Bulawayo City theatre.
Following the death of the group’s founder, Simon Banda, his son Charles Banda has taken over and seeks to revive Sunduza to what it once was.
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derick.khumalo