Rosa choir unites people in song

9 July 2013 | Entertainment Reporter News

An inspiring and unique choir is taking root in our city. The Rosa Choir Project, launched in September 2012, consists of an unusually diverse group of choristers that sings songs in Afrikaans, Xhosa and English.

The project was inspired by the discovery on the internet of an English and Xhosa translation of the traditional Dutch/Afrikaans song Rosa. This iconic song used to be sung regularly at Malay weddings and at choir competitions in the city.

A further prompt came from musical duo Jill Levenberg and Zackie Johnson, who performed Sarah – a song about the oppression of women – to the tune of Rosa.

The choir’s name is taken from the first song they sung, but the choir has a growing repertoire that includes Daar Kom die Alabama, Mbube, I Believe, My African Dream and others.

The project was initiated by the Cape Cultural Collective - from which most of the members are drawn, the Langa based Umbon’omhle Community Youth Group, and the Bayestars Cultural Group from Lentegeur.

The choir is diverse in class, colour, religion, language and geographical areas. The members include singers in gospel choirs, youth activists, casual workers, a university lecturer, Malay choir veterans, a singer from Canada, a handyman, a marathon runner, an academic from India, and young children, among others.

Every Saturday afternoon, this surprising collection of people from across the city gather in Bonteheuwel or Langa for a session of singing, composing, sharing ideas and building bridges of understanding.

Mongikazi Ngamile, a gospel choir member from Langa, has been with the Rosa choir since its inception. Despite her battles to find employment, she lights up the room each week with her infectious energy and passion. She arrives at choir practices accompanied by her daughter Khanya, 7, and niece Unathi, 11.

When she stepped into one of the early practice sessions at the Oude Moulen Centre in Pinelands, she looked at the Dutch/Afrikaans lyrics of Rosa with bewilderment. Two weeks later she was singing “Laas toen ek ‘n meisie bemin” at the top of her voice.

Meanwhile Malay choir veterans Taupe Jacobs and Mustapha Daniels from Bayestars Cultural Group in Lentegeur were getting their tongues around the Xhosa segments of the traditional love song.

It takes a few months to perfect a single song as each song has to be translated into two languages and often requires adaption through several practices. The song I Believe, led by Thandiswa Sorowa from Langa and Rhoda Theys from Bonteheuwel, is sung as ‘Ndikholwa’ in Xhosa and ‘Ek Glo Wel’ in Afrikaans. My African Dream, led by Aziza Davids and Zani Muller, had to have an Afrikaans verse added to the English, Xhosa and Zulu.

The choir starts off with a spoken introduction, delivered in all three languages in turn. The words express the philosophy that underpins the choir.

We sing today With respect and tolerance To express our common humanity Connecting with our roots Forging bonds of friendship And affirming the value of each person

In September 2012 Rosa was sung for the first time in three languages with Hadjie Abdullah Maggot singing Afrikaans lead, Stellenbosch University lecturer Ncebakazi Mnukwana belting out the Xhosa lyrics, and Cara Meintjies, then an intern with the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, ending off with the English segment.

The Cape Cultural Collective’s Zenariah Barends commented afterwards that the audience gathered at Community House had broken out in “a spontaneous standing ovation”.

It was clear that the applause was as much for the quality of the offering as it was for the concept of the choir.

The Rosa choir has had many performances since its inception. In November last year, the choir performed at an awards function hosted by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu in attendance.

In March this year, the choir performed in the Company’s Garden during the Cape Town Festival, cheered on by thousands of Capetonians.

Tana Paddock, who joined the choir a few months ago, came to Cape Town from Montreal, Canada two years ago. For a long time, she struggled to find a group that brings people together from across historical divides.

“When a friend of mine told me that there was a choir that had the explicit aim of bridging racial, cultural, linguistic, generational and economic divides and that was actively recruiting new members, I jumped at the chance, “ she said.

“At first, I was worried about giving up my precious Saturday afternoons, but soon realized that I was receiving so much more than I was giving up.”

Tana loves the inclusive culture in the choir. “This gives practices a really alive feel because you feel like you’re part of the creative process rather than simply regurgitating someone else’s creative process,” she said.

“For me, the Rosa Choir Project is about creating a choir experience that is life changing, and through that life-changing experience a beautiful and distinct sound is being born.”

Zackie Johnson, a guitarist, actor and playwright from Manenberg, with vast experience in Malay choir competitions, has been with the Rosa choir since day one.

He does not hesitate to use dramatic licence when describing the choir, referring to it as “much more than simply a platform for music and language”, but a place where “the entire universe comes together.”

The choir is coached by Farid Adams, a veteran entertainer, coach and composer. He has performed at home and abroad and is well-known for the comic songs or moppies he composed for performances at choir competitions over the years. He brings his own unique brand of passion and inspiration to the group.

Ncebakazi - known simply as Kazi to her fellow choristers – feels “the Rosa Choir is a musical home where we share who we are, our skills and where we want to get to without being bogged down by group dynamics and sensitive articulation as we sing our message to the world.”

The Rosa choir’s most recent performance was at the Slave Church during one of the Cape Cultural Collective’s monthly programmes.

Boeta Farid quietly marshalled everyone into position as musicians Mansoor, Zackie and Wayne did a final sound check. Within minutes the performance was under way with the black clad choristers singing and swaying from side to side; Boeta Dickie and Boeta Chris from Lentegeur alongside Mike of Muizenberg, Jason, Isaac and Thulani from Langa, and Mario and Fatima from Manenberg.

Accomplished guitarist and vocalist Trudy Rushin was sitting in the audience. The next day, she shared her thoughts about the choir on social media.

“The Rosa Choir blew me away. The warm, enthusiastic spirit of the singers is tangible - never lose that quality. The diversity of the membership and the multi-lingual renditions of well-known songs, with solos by some great vocalists all add to the impact of this choir,” she said.

“I love the way the singers move when they sing; also enjoyed the layered harmonies. The choir master is himself a sight for sore eyes - what a ball of energy! The banjo effect achieved by one of the guitarists was brilliant.”

“Well done, Rosa Choir! May you continue to grow your vision and your reach - you deserve to be heard by people all over our country and well beyond our borders.”

The choir is as much about singing as it is about contributing towards positive change.

As South Africa struggles to break out of three hundred years of racial oppression and division, the Rosa choir represents in miniature form Nelson Mandela’s ideal of a non-racial society.

Cape Cultural Collective

“The process of setting up the choir has been an amazing one with members learning about various histories, languages and traditions,” said Cape Cultural Collective Core team member Chris Ferndale.

“The choir transcends historical divides and combines different cultural traditions in a project that is entertaining, transformative, inspirational and educational,” he said.

“The Cape Cultural Collective is an inter-generational, non-sexist, non-racist cultural group that promotes social activism and draws a link between history and the social challenges of our time.

CCC is engaged in a range of projects including the highly successful Rosa Choir and the cultural development of community groups. We also facilitate cultural performances for a range of organisations. A group of our poets will perform at the Paris Autumn Festival in October this year.”

For more information on the Cape Cultural Collective and the Rosa choir, contact: