“Afrique my longing” lies at the confluence of poetry and music with as main actors the multi-award winning South African singer and composer, Laurinda Hofmeyr, famous for setting poetry to music, and the bassist and musical producer Schalk Joubert. Together with a world class ensemble of West African singers and musicians currently living in Cape Town, they explore a wealth of African poetry from Francophone Madagascar to Mauritania, Senegal to Chad, and all the way back to South African shores with the Afrikaans poetry of Breyten Breytenbach and Antjie Krog. Combined with African-inspired melodies, the literary masterpieces were written by JJ Rabearivelo, Veronique Tadjo, Nimrod, Patrice Nganang, and Ousmane Moussa Diagana gave birth to the concept of “Afrique mon Désir”, which draws quintessence of its energy in cultural miscegenation.
The production was launched in South Africa at the 2018 Woordfees (Literature Festival) in Stellenbosch in March and was staged at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in Oudtshoorn in April 2018. It can also be seen at various other venues around the country throughout the year. In June 2018 there is a tour of France planned.
The production is presented and supported by the Cape Town Music Academy (CTMA). CTMA is a not for profit company (NPC) that seeks to create opportunities for local, established and emerging musicians and related artists in the Western Cape. The objective of the CTMA is to conduct a public benefit activity which creates programmes and projects for the promotion of the work of local musicians, and the development of career opportunities in the South African music industry.
“Africa my longing” album was recorded in June 2017, in Stellenbosch, South Africa, a picturesque town some 50 km from Cape Town. The album saw the participation of the Malagasy accordionist, Régis Gizavo, who sadly passed away a few weeks after its recording.
The 13-track album will be released online and distributed by the French company In Ouïe Distribution from May 25, 2018.
