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“In Africa we welcome and welcome and welcome.” So said Airports Company of South Africa General Manager George Uriesi as the 2006 ACI Annual General World Assembly & Exhibition opened in Cape Town last night.
And how they welcomed us. Delegates sat transfixed as the 35-member Umoja brought the sounds, rhythms, music, dance and power of Africa to the stage.
Umoja takes up the story: “We tell the moving tale of indigenous South African music from the earliest rhythms to kwaito. The tale dances through shebeens and the cultural melting pot of Sophiatown. The heart is saddened by cold stories of forced removals yet the feet continue to stomp along with the explosions of gumboot dancing.”
Umoja delivered what it promised – “a loud, colourful and jubilant celebration of life”. It was spell-binding.
I wish I was there. I learned how to dance before(but of course I learned Chinese traditional dance!)
Life should be full of passion like this!