Chobi Mela III
Seeking joy of their own
Of new South African culture
Fayza Haq
Neo Ntsoma from South Africa represents South African youth in her work in Chobi Mela III at the Alliance Francaise. These young people represent the future. They are the source of renewed energy. For 10 years the country has been undergoing a process of change, development and reconciliation. The youth, developing their own identity, consider themselves as proudly South African, and a part of the Kwaito culture. The young ones are in search of peace, love and being satisfied in what they are. Their culture is more than skin deep. It is the soul, spirit and mental orientation of their existence.The word 'Kwaito' is derived from the Afrikaan word 'kwaai' which translates to 'angry' in English in colloquial slang. Sometimes negative words acquire a positive 'cool' status. The South African township slang has somehow come into everyday use. Kwaito is about understanding the township. The township is being celebrated by the youth of South Africa in terms of music. This is interesting when one considers that the township was once created to have a ready supply of cheap labour. The youth of South Africa refused to be condemned by the political situations of the past. Music is an expression of the new generation. In one picture by Neo Ntsoma is a young woman in leather pants, a coloured top and a cap. Her hand is full of bangles and from her ears hang long, jangling earrings. At the back is a man holding on to a bottle. A red glare of light is being flashed at the back. The rest of the picture is black, blue and gray. Another picture brings in a dancing girl. Her hair appears blonde in the light, although she is of black origin. She has rhinestones on her clothes, as she dances with her hands flung in different directions. Her eyes are bright and her face is lit up. Another photo brings five men sitting with caps, berets and slacks with folded bottoms. They wear sleeveless jackets and black and white two-tone shoes. They swing their hands as they sit and sing along. The picture is in red, blue and purple. The next picture is a man in a beret and behind him can be seen a billboard with a young woman with windswept hair. This is in red and black. Again , we see a young woman with fitting clothes and a long string of glittering beads. At her back are people dancing. In another lens focus is a young woman singing in a studio while a man gives her direction and other help with the recording. The young people, with curly hair and distinctive features appear full of life. The room is lit up by a bulb that makes it appear red and black. In the last picture is a woman taping a voice in a studio. The background appears smoky. All the pictures are a celebration of the new generation of South African youth.
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Kwaito Culture by Neo Ntsoma |
