Eric expanding his cultural and intellectual horizons

This semester I have spent a lot of time being exposed to aspects of art and culture that I previously assumed I would not like. As I discussed in my last blog post, I have made so many memories attending concerts and festivals that have enhanced my taste in, and appreciation for, music. This past Thursday, I attended First Thursday, which took place in the heart of Cape Town, and Kanala, a musical about the history of District Six. I thoroughly enjoyed both, and came away having learned more about Capetonian culture and history.

First Thursday is a cultural experience that takes place in Cape Town and Johannesburg on, as its name suggests, the first Thursday of each month. Downtown Cape Town comes alive at around 5:00pm, when restaurants, art galleries, museums, and craft stores open their doors to the public. People can freely walk along Long Street, Loop Street, Bree Street, and the short roads that connect the three and see what piques their curiosity. The chocolate shop and street food were of particular interest to me, but I also really enjoyed the various art galleries. Not all were composed of watercolor paintings; many featured sculptures, paper art, or woodwork. Some of the galleries had themes; others did not. Some of the works made an impression on me; others left me scratching my head. Nonetheless, I read the descriptions next to each piece and tried to listen to what some other people were saying about it to see if I could try and get a new perspective. I’m sad that this was the first and last First Thursday I would be able to attend, but I’m glad I could experience it before we leave.

My co-educators and I then walked to the Fugard Theatre for the much-anticipated showing of Kanala, described as a musical tribute to District Six, the apartheid-era community that was broken up when it was declared to be a “White-Only” area. Performed by six actors and six actresses, Kanala followed the story of the young woman narrator’s grandmother Evelyn, her friends, and the people they encountered in their daily lives before they were torn apart. No surprise here, but everyone had such a beautiful voice, which made each song a pleasure to listen to. The six-piece band situated in the middle of a hollow column on center stage complemented the voices wonderfully and had me dancing in my seat. Aside from the music, the story the play told highlighted all of the positive aspects of District Six and emphasized that it was a truly united and integrated community. It even had quite a bit of humor sprinkled in, though a majority of the jokes were in Afrikaans and went right over my head. My first reaction after the play was that it didn’t seem to have a plot—there were songs performed at various landmarks of the community, but it never progressed to the forced removal, which I had been expecting. However, I came to realize that creator and director David Kramer probably never intended to focus on that part of the history anyways. Instead, he wanted to keep the attention on the vibrant people and places that generate so much nostalgia from former residents. Understood through this lens, I think the play did District Six justice, but I will have to ask Vernon, a former District Six resident himself, what he thought.

For quite a few years, my favorite books have been nonfiction; my Kindle library is replete with books about cancer, medicine, evolution, and, most recently, South Africa. However, I am starting to realize that reading about a topic in a purely academic manner is not the only way to learn. Works of fiction and the fine arts can also convey important messages in a unique package.