Some cast members and and Director. From Left to right: Back row - Elsabe Chifako, Joao Zinu, Marleen Makina, Ranekka Baru, Belinda Chimbenda. Front row - Rikert Moyo, Misty Brodiaea, Harold Dikua

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A review of 2011

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Life after touring

Although the production, “Son of the Wind” was no longer performing around the country, in 2011 the cast and crew still participated in exciting cultural and media events, and the cast benefited from further professional training.

Presenting the DVD

A video recording was made of “Son of the Wind” during the production’s run in Bloemfontein in November of 2010. This recording was then edited for the purpose of archiving the work as well as a medium for further presentations of the show in various venues.

The sculptures commissioned for the production were exhibited at the William Humphrey’s Art Gallery on May 19 in a gala evening which was also the first public screening of the DVD. A short documentary was filmed to accompany the sculpture exhibition. The Documentary was comprised of interviews with the models who posed for the sculptures as they spoke to the Artistic Director, M. Brodiaea about their experiences in the Angolan and Border Wars as directly related to the content of the play “Son of the Wind.”  The exceptionally talented, Marius Jansen Van Vurren, the sculptor, was present for the event. Additionally, government officials, members of the public, representatives from local museums, the media, and community leaders from Platfontein, the cast & crew, and the general public attended. In total approximately 200 persons were in attendance. Officials from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Department of Education attended along with representatives from the McGregor Museum. The SABC and the DFA covered the event.

Later, a private screening of “Son of the Wind” was held upon the request of the Northern Cape Department of Education for the purposes of a discussion around San history in the academic curriculum and the role of the Arts. The cast attended this presentation whereupon they introduced themselves and answered question from educators and officials.

Then, in June of 2011 SASI took the DVD of the show to Platfontein, the !Xun and Khwe community just outside of Kimberley. The crew erected a large screen on the school grounds in cooperation with the !Xunkhwesa Combined school, and invited the community to view the film of “Son of the Wind”. The entire cast, crew and production team introduced themselves to the community and explained their various roles. Community members of all ages greatly enjoyed the screening and the cast in particular benefited emotionally from the ability to share their exhausting work of the previous year with their peers. An estimated 350 community members of Platfontein attended the screening.

Professional Development and Community Impact

The cast participated in a professional development workshop for entertainers where they learned about the various roles of talent agents and casting directors as well as the realities of attempting a career in the entertainment business. By the conclusion of the workshop each of the actors created a theatrical CV and a cover letter introducing themselves to prospective talent agents. Headshots were taken of the actors by a professional photographer and sent to regional talent bureaus, SASI archived the photos and the cast received a copy for themselves as well.

The overall professional impact upon the cast has been very exciting and positive. Cast members participated in three professional auditions conducted by separate production companies searching for San persons with training in acting to be utilized in commercial, film and television productions. In September of 2011, four actors form “Son of the Wind” were cast in an episode of “The Final Verdict” a television show that aired on SABC2 and was produced by Carrol Bouwer Productions.

Community impact has been in a form of the individual community members that participated extensively in this production. Their training and employment in the production, has had economic and social impact not only on the individuals, but their families as well. The personal impact upon the San actors who participated in “Son of the Wind” has been tremendously positive: language skills have improved greatly; and self-confidence, professionalism, work ethics and a positive cultural image have all blossomed as a result of their experiences.

An International Experience

In September of 2011 the Maloof Money Cup, one of the biggest skateboarding events in the world, held its first ever South African event in the city of Kimberly. The Provincial Department of Tourism organized the internationally televised Opening Ceremony, and requested that an excerpt from “Son of the Wind” be the opening act. With only a week to prepare, the Director, cast and crew rehearsed day and night to create a performance that combined the thematic elements of the story together with San traditional song and dance, modern choreography, and the best of the footage from the production.

“Son of the Wind” was a roaring success at the Opening Ceremony where over 2,000 spectators were present and thousands more watched on television around the world. At the end of the event the producers thanked the director, and complimented the cast not only on their performance but also on their high level of professionalism throughout the course of the event.

Flying in Bloem

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The cast on the landing strip

Whenever we go on tour I and the production team try to do something special for the cast. Part of the development aspect of this project is exposure to new places and experiences. These excursions and the discussions we have afterward are always some of the most rewarding moments of tour, and I am constantly reminded of how very much I take for granted.


In Cape Town last May the cast went to the aquarium and to the beach, most of them had never been to the sea and certainly had no idea what strange and glorious creatures lurk beneath the waves. production team member Riaan Landsberg, a deep sea diver by trade, insisted on the trip to the aquarium.

I remember Wentzel Katjara, who plays Bambo in the show, rolled around in the water like a porpoise – the happiest porpoise I’ve ever seen. Wentzel is a community leader and from the royal line of the Khwe tribe, as well as a former soldier for the South African Army so he has definitely seen the world, much more so than most people in his community, but he told me he had not seen the ocean in many years so he wanted to experience the salt and the wind again. He said he would take the ocean home with him on his skin.

In Santon, the most upscale part of Johannesburg, we took the cast to a few shopping malls - mostly because the only thing there is to do in Sandton is shop.

Rabekka Baru, one of the oldest members of the cast, is a !Xun woman in her mid- sixties who speaks neither English nor Afrikaans. She enjoyed looking in the windows of all the fancy boutiques and salons, and was generally enjoying herself until the group reached the escalator. Rabekka had never seen escalator before in her life, much less been told she must ride one! She protested, clung to the railings and raised a big racket before her husband Joao finally convinced her that the stairs were not going to swallow her up.

                                           Yolande (Yaya) le Grange in flight
On our last tour which ended in November we went to Bloemfontein, about two hours from our base city of Kimberley. Bloemfontein is bigger than Kimberley and the centre of the Free State, but it is hardly a thriving metropolis and we were all feeling hard pressed to come up with something interesting to do with the cast. Until I remembered that our charming new Tour Manager, Yolande le Grange, just happens to be a pilot and her family owns a Cessna 210 six-seater!

We arrived in Bloemfontein on Sunday morning and after the cast helped the crew off load the set at the theatre we sent them to check-in at the game lodge with a promise of a surprize waiting for them that afternoon.


When we met up later that evening all 20 of us, cast, crew and production team sat around the table and laughed ourselves silly as the actors made fun of each other and Robert Fick, our new Jackal, told us about how our macho young leading men screamed like school girls through most of the flight. Tommy (Young Chamba), made sounds like a dying cow every time Yolande dipped and turned the airplane, and Riekert (Dala), spent the better part of the flight under his seat.

                                         Tommy(Young Chamba) and Jafta(sound tech) screeming.  Where is Riekert(Dala)?   
                                                       Under the seat perhaps?   

My favourite quote for the evening was what Benjamin (Chamba), had to say of the experience; “Why must we go chasing after death? One day death will find us on its own!” Didn’t you like the airplane?” I asked. “I liked it better on the ground” he said.

                                                       A view of Bloemfontein from above.

Beautiful Sculptures

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Thereza Masseka, along with other !Xun women, children and elderly walked for over 6 months through Angola to flee from the fighting and seek refuge in the Caprivi Strip.

We as people are all sculpted by the emotional circumstances of our lives. In the body of the aged, the natural story comes through; it can no longer hide injury with muscle or mask pain with stamina, the body of the aged cannot lie, and the scars it carries becomes the map of a life.


The figures represented here, lived through the greatest of the tragic endeavours of man. War. Their lives were scared by combat, grief, and the loss of family, culture and homeland. But each of them is also a testament to courage and to the sacrifices that one generation endures for the future of another.

As sculptures, these individuals now represent history; the static human form occupying space is also an emotional vehicle that can vigorously represent a human condition.

The sculptures displayed here we created by artist, Marius Jansen van Vuuren from members of the !Xun and Khwe people of South Africa and Namibia who lived through the events depicted in the play Son of the Wind. He describes his work thus; “As an artist, I believe that you cannot create emotion, but you can create form with the sole purpose of evoking an emotional response.”

The creators of Son of the Wind are deeply thankful to those who shared their bodies and their stories and to the artist who brought them forth. In future, the sculptures will be returned to the San communities of Platfontein and Omega One to stand as eternal symbols of courage, honour and cultural heritage.
-M. Brodiaea

Kumama Mukua a traditional leader of the Khwe living in Platfontein.  He fought with the Portuguese in Angola and the South African Defence Force in Namibia.  Kumama endured over 20 years of combat.

Sculptures at the show in Bloemfontein

Sculpture of Thereza Masseka of the !Xun tribe at Platfontein near Kimberley South Africa.
Sculptures by artist Marius Janesn van Vuuren exhibited along the the production of Son of of the Wind in Bloemfontein 24 - 27 November 2010.
 

Boetie Sikerete from the Khwe Tribe still living on the Caprivi Strip, Namibia, at the old SANDF Army Base, Omega One.

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Sculptures at the show in Bloemfontein

Sculpture of Thereza Masseka by artist Marius Janesn van Vuuren exhibited along the the production of 
Son of of the Wind in Bloemfontein 24 - 27 November 2010.

Crossing The Boarder

By about 3pm Jack, Rufus and I reached Gaberone, a major African metropolis (and home of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency), positioned on the border of Botswana and South Africa. We were pretty pleased with the time we had made since getting back on rout, and figured that we could still go another 200k into Botswana, find lodging and be positioned on a picturesque terrace, whisky in hand, in plenty of time for sundowners. Slight miscalculation. Or perhaps it was the first signs of the over-optimism, a kind of brain fever, which afflicted us throughout our journey.

In Mafkeng, the last major town before Gaberone we had gotten a bit turned around, no thanks to Rufus, but eventually found our way out. While driving in circles we passed the colossal multimillion Rand stadium that was built for the World Cup and never used. The world soccer event hosted by South Africa in June lined the pockets of many powerful people, and although we are just a few months on, the press and others have begun to ask how, if at all, it benefited the man in the street? Even at the height of the euphoric bedlam of World Cup mania, workers at a stadium in Durban went on strike, interrupting matches because they had not been paid in months. Corruption, or “mismanagement of funds” if one cares to euphemize, is a brain fever that affects the whole of the African continent.

As we slowly approached the boarder crossing an official looking woman standing in front of a row of tin shanties we later learned were actually little dirt floored offices, waved to me and indicated that I should roll down the window.

She scanned our little overloaded bakkie smilingly and asked, “Mma, do you have something to declare?”

“No Mma, we are just driving through to Namibia.”

“Okay then.” She said as she waved us through.

“Ke a le boga!” I called to her, as we started moving.

“Eh Mma, your welcome!” she laughed.

Jack and I looked at each other in bewildered amusement, “Well that was not so bad,” he said.

Moments later we joined a queue of cars headed toward a uniformed man standing in front of a booth checking peoples papers. He looked grumpy. We turned off Rufus lest he say something rude and get us into trouble.

“Hello” chirped Jack form beneath his straw cowboy hat in his friendliest and most accommodating of voices. The boarder guard just stared at him.

Before leaving Kimberley we joked about how strange our cargo must seem when taken out of context; 10 plus bags of Plaster of Paris, several boxes of bandages, medical scissors, wooden spoons, sleeping bags, propane cooking stove, bubble wrap… we looked like two dodgy characters from a Coen Brothers’ film.

What exactly does one say when asked about our purpose and destination? “Well, we are driving 3,000k through southern Africa to take body casts of some Bushmen for this play called Son of the Wind. They are going to be a kind of living historical reference – well not living exactly, because we’re just bringing back the casts not the people. We do use San actors though. Why? Why what? Oh, well it’s complicated. Art, you know ha ha! Ummm… The whole thing really is quite fascinating its– look, just see the show.”

Jack handed the border guard some papers proving his ownership of the car, and his license. Well not his license actually, because that, he had just explained to me was expired. The paper he handed the man now was a kind of recipt stating that he had paid for the new license but it hadn’t arrived yet. Jack looked sheepishly over at me, “Hope this letter is sufficient.”

“Yea, me too.” I said.

The border guard just glanced at the documents, not waiting for an explanation, handed them back to Jack and moved his face closer. “You have something to declare?”

“No.“ I said, and nudged Jack who was supposed to say “No” too but all that came out was “Ummmm…” The border guard held up his hand and moved toward the back of the bakkie to press his face against the glass of the camper shell.

The man rapped his knuckles against the glass and called to Jack who stuck his head out the window, “What is this?”

“I’m a sculptor, an artist,” Jack replied jauntily, “its material.” The man did not look impressed. Jack repeated himself, “It’s material – for my work.”

The border guard furrowed his brows and stalked toward Jack who pulled his head back in the window. “You will be selling these things in Botswana?” he demanded.

“No, no, it’s material. I will use it for my work. We’re going to Namibia and -“

“Namibia?”

“Yes, you see, I’m a sculptor and she’s a writer and we’re going to the Caprivi Strip near Angola to do some body…”

“Angola? You said Namibia.” Now our not so friendly border guard was looking very cross.

“Yes, yes, Namibia – not Angola. Forget Angola. We are just going near Angola. As I was saying, we have a very important project and..”

I just stared out the window and wished I had done the talking, though honestly, I would probably not have fared much better. From the corner of my eye I saw the border guard raise his hand to silence Jack. “You have something to declare?” he asked again very slowly.

“Uh..,” Jack and I looked at one another quickly, and replied in unison, “Yes we do.”

“Yes, you do. Pull forward.” He said gruffly, and pointed at a grey parking lot a few hundred meters away.

Jack put the car in gear and started to obey orders when another man popped out from the darkness at the back of booth. “Do you know the procedures?” He asked, smiling form ear to ear. Jack and I just shook our heads. “Don’t worry,” he said, “My friend will help you sort everything all out. Park there. I can bring him to you now now.”

When the friendly woman form earlier saw us parking and the man form the booth go running past her she just shook her head and sighed, “Sorry Mma.”

Moments later a guy called Richard lead us to one of the silver shanty offices, all of which seemed to have been constructed at the bottom of a ditch. The incline on the approach to the door was so steep that the downhill velocity basically shoved you right into the office; that is, if you were lucky enough to miss the light pole. A big woman whose enormous derrière hung over the edges of her lawn chair giggled as we made our way down the gangplank and scolded Richard in Tswana. I didn’t understand her completely but I know she said something about bareki - customers.

Richard’s English was considerably more advanced than the border guard’s, but he was still utterly baffled by us, our “material”, and our mission. Jack produced an invoice from an art supplier and the man regarded the curious list with suspicion. “Why do you need so many bandages? Are you a doctor?”

“No.” Jack was getting really frustrated by this point and I kept looking around and thinking that we were standing in the crappiest excuse for an office I had ever seen. I knew it was going to cost us a bit of cash to get out of there, and so did Jack, but by then were stuck. “I’m an artist and we have a project in Namibia, that’s where we’re going, we’re not even staying in Botswana, and I need these things for my work.”

Richard’s head was down scanning the invoice, “You’re not doctors? Sure?”

“Yes! No, we are not doctors.”

“But this Plaster of Paris, you can put it on a broken arm nay?”

“Yes, yes, you can but I’m using it for body casting. You see..” Jack extended his arm and tried to explain but Richard interrupted him. “Okay, okay,” he said still examining the papers, “Wait here. I’m coming back.”

“Why doesn’t anybody listen around here!”

“Nobody cares Jack.”

“I know, I know, but it pisses me off. We are getting screwed here; you know that right?”

“Yea, but at least he seems decent about it. He’s alright.”

“Bullshit.”

Richard came back and by an hour later we had all stopped explaining and had just shut up. Jack and I shuffled our feet and watched the sun sinking while Richard silently filled in a long tedious form that required about 20 stamps and signatures. In the end he charged us 400 Rand for bringing the sculpture material into the country, and it did actually seem like he had tried to help us out. Luckily I had the cash and as he handed me a receipt, Richard’s mood seemed to brighten considerably. I took advantage of the situation and showed him the map. Richard shook his head, “Shame,” he said, “You should have entered Botswana from Mafikeng, now you have to go all the way up this side (about 400k), before you can cross over. Or you can go back to Makikeng, but then you go through customs again.” he grinned. Jack groaned.

“Can’t we just cut up the middle here?” I asked.

“No, you Yankee,” Jack laughed, “that, my dear, is one mother of a game reserve. No roads.”

“Shit.”

When we finally pulled out of the boarder crossing is was completely dark, we had spent about 600 Rand of fees of various sorts, we were starving, and we had absolutely no idea where we were going to stay. All in all, day one was a smashing success.

The Journey Begins

For our trip to Namibia, Marius, hence forth know as Jack, borrowed an annoying and often times confused GPS from a friend in Bloemfontein. This pompous navigator we christened Rufus and I became Jane.

In addition to the GPS, his essentials and about 30kilos of body casting material, Jack also brought a pile of camping equipment and a huge roll of bubble wrap. Jack travels light. I brought a map, some clothes, a video camera and a thermos for coffee, which I still haven’t returned to its owner. The debate over which navigational tool actually proved to be most useful is still hotly contested; but the bubble wrap is not. The bubble wrap was damn handy – but that bit of the story comes later.

We headed out of town at about 4am and had made our first of many wrong turns by 5:30am. We were so caught up in conversation and enthusiasm by the adventure awaiting us, and the prospect of meeting the San soldiers still living at Omega that I didn’t even open the map and Jack forgot to turn of Rufus. We just drove.

We finally had the sense to stop at a petrol station outside of Christiana and Jack punched in our destination. As soon as Rufus register our location he proclaimed, with the disdain of a persnickety Headmaster scolding his feeble-minded students, “Off rout.”

Jack immediately took umbrage, “ We know that! That’s why we turned this bloody thing on.” I just shrugged, “Sorry man, it’s early.”

By the time we backtracked 40kilometers, stopped for cigarettes and chewing gum, and got back on rout, the sun was up and shining brightly. We found ourselves on a picturesque tree lined road that ran through farming country: bucolic Africa at its best. Out trip was made at the end of June so it was still winter then, but the fields to either side of us were already touched with the sweet, gentle green of Lucerne just come of age. We turned up my friend Dené Theron’s CD, 1,000 Cups of Tea, rolled the windows down, and sat back to enjoy the excited yet contented feeling of finally being on our way. Then a cranky voice bleated out at us from Rufus’ side of the dashboard, “You are over the speed limit. You are Over the speed limit.”

“What?” Jack looked shocked, “But there’s no one on the road but us!”

“Come on Rufus…” I chimed in. But Rufus wasn’t budging, “You are over the speed limit. You are over –“

“I know, damn it,” Jack interrupted. “I’m slowing down now.”

“You are over the speed limit.” Rufus was on a roll now and I swear his tone got nastier with each condemnation. “You are-“

“Oh shut up Rufus!” I nearly shouted. “Jack, can’t you turn him off?”

“I would but I don’t know this road, I’m afraid we’ll get lost again,” he said sheepishly.

“Ah hell, well then lets turn the music up.”

“Yea, let’s do that,” Jack grinned, and gave Rufus the finger.

Kimberley Run and Sandton Tour

Some lovely footage from our Kimberley Run and Sandton Tour, of the cast and crew. A gem from Marlene Makina, singing a traditional Khun song!

Lobby Installations

As part of the production, we decorate the lobbies of our venues to create an ambience that introduces Son Of The Wind.. Canvasses on which photographs have been printed are hung up and lit, as part of the art installation to provide people with more information about the San tribes. The photographs are courtesy of the archives of the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. The pictures depict the lives of the San people during the war in Angola (as well as their daily lives in a cultural context), which ties into the story of Son Of The Wind.

San Art is also sold in the lobby. This includes the traditional crafts: jewellry, bows and arrows and wood carvings. These products will be available to purchase online shortly, so watch this space..

Sandton Opening Night and Preview

Our Opening night Wednesday the 28th at the Theatre On The Square in Sandton was very successful. We previewed in the afternoon and opened in the evening to decent-sized audiences and were very well recieved.

We run at the Theatre On The Square until tomorrow the 31st, so if you are in the area, do come and check it out. Definately a show not to be missed!!! Here are some photo's from the preview: