18.08.2011  The Buskaid Ensemble recently returned from Colombia, where they gave four concerts. The idea of going to Colombia, arose from an email received in late 2010 by Buskaid’s Director, Rosemary Nalden, which came from Alvaro Restrepo, the Director El Colegio del Cuerpo, a dance project in Cartagena. 

Restrepo had seen Buskaid’s documentary Soweto Strings on the Arte TV channel in Colombia and was so moved by what he saw that he immediately wrote to Nalden to express his response to the film, and also to point out the similarities between the two projects. He also expressed the wish to one day do a project together. After 3 months of correspondence between the two parties, it was agreed that Buskaid should tour to Colombia in July 2011.

Buskaid is fortunate in having enjoyed the support of TOTAL South Africa for a number of its overseas tours. Aware of the negative publicity surrounding Colombia’s ‘drug wars’, Total agreed to sponsor the tour to Cartagena on condition that this was the only city visited. The Umoja Foundation offered generous supporting funding, whilst a long-time sponsor of Buskaid, the Doshi Group also contributed modestly to the tour.  The NLTDF funded the senior members’ performance fees.

The intention was that twenty-six members of the Buskaid Ensemble would spend seven complete days in Cartagena, collaborating artistically with El Colegio del Cuerpo (ECdC) to produce a number of pieces which would be performed by the two groups together. 

A lot of hard and very concentrated work on the part of both groups of artists contributed to two extraordinary joint concerts by Buskaid and ECdC at the beautiful Teatro Aldolfo Mejía in the heart of the old city. The reception for the Buskaid musicians at both concerts was tumultuous. The first concert was for the general public, and the second for a number of high profile invited guests and dignitaries.

According to Nalden, Buskaid’s presence in Colombia was a source of great fascination, not only for the dancers of the host project, but also for the general public. All the rehearsals were open, and there was a constant flow of enthusiastic observers. One day, a group of string players from the local orchestra came in to listen, and there ensued a discussion about baroque string style. At the same time the Buskaid musicians were given the opportunity to observe the dancers: on one occasion, first year dancers who had been mentored by second and third year students, presented short choreographed dances inspired by pictures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. This resonated greatly with the Buskaid students, in particular the student teachers, who also mentor and teach younger Buskaid pupils in Soweto. In fact there were remarkable similarities – both positive and negative - which were discussed at length by the two Directors and which reassuringly led to the realisation that challenges and difficulties, as well as triumphs and successes, for projects like Buskaid and ECdC are not limited to a particular culture or country, but are universal. 

For the Ensemble one of the most memorable events was their visit to ‘Nelson Mandela’, a shanty town on the outskirts of Cartagena - very much its equivalent to the poorer areas of South African townships. Having tumbled along dirt roads in a small run-down bus overflowing with students and instruments - including three double basses - the Ensemble played for local people at a school where ECdC runs a dance project. The unique flavour of this concert and the joyful faces of the people for whom Buskaid had travelled halfway around the world to play made this an unforgettable occasion for everyone.

A fourth event during the tour was a brief collaboration with the Colombian Youth Philharmonic, when the musicians combined to form an orchestra of over 100 players. This was followed by a short public concert of the combined music, as well as a performance by Buskaid.

All the members of the Buskaid party were mesmerised by the energy, commitment and enormous talents of the dancers with whom they collaborated. The staff of ECdC , Alvaro Restrepo and Rosemary Nalden are convinced that this visit was just the beginning of a much deeper and far-reaching relationship between the two projects. 

Buskaid Ensemble ‘s annual concert, this year themed Past, Present and Future, will take place in the Linder Auditorium, Parktown, Johannesburg on August 27 2011 at 7.30pm.

Please consult the What’s On calendar for full details.