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Abantwana be Afrika
Jul. 18th, 2005 10:49 pmLong day.
Ended with choir performance for the South African High Commission at the National Archives. We weren't the main event, just guests. Sang three anthems by ourselves (Canadian, South African, African Union) and then were joined by the main performers, the South African Rainbow Association, made up of kids and teenagers from Africa. And it was... um. Well. Amazing, actually. Can't really describe it other than to say it was unbelievably moving. We provided the 'professional sounding' melody and harmony, they provided the heart and oomph and movement. And the audience was cheering before the end, which is an amazing thing to experience, even though it wasn't directed at us - it was for the kids on stage, who ended the song with a slow crescendo to a shouted a capella "Abantwana be AFRIKA!" (we are children of Africa) ending with all their fists raised proudly into the air.
Here's a link to the music (not us singing) but it doesn't do tonight justice. You kind of have to imagine 30-40 mostly white, mostly middle-aged folks arranged down the steps of the stage and on the wings of the auditorium, and god how many - 30? 40? 50? mostly black kids aged 5-20 or so on stage, like this:
Old folks (that's us) singing and occasionally swaying whitely, and the kids singing their hearts out, dancing and swaying with the music, clapping, etc. And ending in a shout, not a drum roll as this version does.
http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=05DB2QHWMJUAG3P1Y0XQ8Y202J
We also got a wonderful response to our African trilogy, in which our guys got a chance to shine as male voices so rarely do, with their very own section in the first part (Somagwaza), which they belted out somewhat more... manly than the recording I have for it. We all did pretty well on the next two sections, Aman sia kadumi sa and Siyahamba. We even ended it with a shout in time at the end, which the audience seemed to really like, if their clapping and cheering was anything to go by.
http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=37JL78KWRNGUC2GASQLSU7ZHKT
I must say African audiences leave Canadians in the dust. Where Canadians provide polite, friendly applause and an occasional woo-hoo!, African audiences clap and sway with the music, cheer, stamp, and scream their hearts out. I wonder if our director has considered hiring African audiences to accompany us to all our concerts.
Ended with choir performance for the South African High Commission at the National Archives. We weren't the main event, just guests. Sang three anthems by ourselves (Canadian, South African, African Union) and then were joined by the main performers, the South African Rainbow Association, made up of kids and teenagers from Africa. And it was... um. Well. Amazing, actually. Can't really describe it other than to say it was unbelievably moving. We provided the 'professional sounding' melody and harmony, they provided the heart and oomph and movement. And the audience was cheering before the end, which is an amazing thing to experience, even though it wasn't directed at us - it was for the kids on stage, who ended the song with a slow crescendo to a shouted a capella "Abantwana be AFRIKA!" (we are children of Africa) ending with all their fists raised proudly into the air.
Here's a link to the music (not us singing) but it doesn't do tonight justice. You kind of have to imagine 30-40 mostly white, mostly middle-aged folks arranged down the steps of the stage and on the wings of the auditorium, and god how many - 30? 40? 50? mostly black kids aged 5-20 or so on stage, like this:
Old folks (that's us) singing and occasionally swaying whitely, and the kids singing their hearts out, dancing and swaying with the music, clapping, etc. And ending in a shout, not a drum roll as this version does.
http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=05DB2QHWMJUAG3P1Y0XQ8Y202J
We also got a wonderful response to our African trilogy, in which our guys got a chance to shine as male voices so rarely do, with their very own section in the first part (Somagwaza), which they belted out somewhat more... manly than the recording I have for it. We all did pretty well on the next two sections, Aman sia kadumi sa and Siyahamba. We even ended it with a shout in time at the end, which the audience seemed to really like, if their clapping and cheering was anything to go by.
http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=37JL78KWRNGUC2GASQLSU7ZHKT
I must say African audiences leave Canadians in the dust. Where Canadians provide polite, friendly applause and an occasional woo-hoo!, African audiences clap and sway with the music, cheer, stamp, and scream their hearts out. I wonder if our director has considered hiring African audiences to accompany us to all our concerts.
