Donna Collins
SWAKOPMUND - The magnetic sound of African drum beat together with a display of swirling contemporary dancers, is the essence of ‘Showcase Namibia’. Showcase Namibia is a unique local collaboration experience designed to attract tourists to the Warehouse Theatre, where a cast of 31 performers showcase Namibia’s cultural heritage in an exciting one- hour live show.
The first performance kicked off this month, with the aim to run two afternoons a week, offering an opportunity for tourists and locals to interact and be entertained by Namibian cultural performers, who sing and dance to pulsating marimba percussion, in a theatre-like atmosphere.
Showcase Namibia consists of different performers and styles, therefore, guaranteeing a unique display of local flavours, while encouraging the audience to indulge in traditional sounds and moves in a delightfully choreographed performance.
The show displays a vibrant merger of song and dance from the Makgona Ngwao Traditional Dance Group, highlighting the country’s rich and diverse cultural heritage on stage.
The core group of musicians, from the fabulous Ongoma Drum Café Namibia, are well known for their lively marimba and percussion drum circle performances. The group was established in 2002 with the intention of preserving and communicating the beat and rhythm of the African drum, and have been entertaining and spreading the drumming ‘fever’ ever since. The show is also produced by Ongoma Drum Café Namibia.
Sean Kamati, the Project Co-Ordinator, said the Warehouse Theatre has been keen to put on a regular show of this type for tourists for some time. This, with the idea to offer an afternoon activity for international visitors. He maintains that there is no entertainment for visitors overnighting in Windhoek and that the show could become a regular feature among tourists.
“We are approaching tour operators, hotels and lodges plus have invited stakeholders of the tourism industry to the show, which has been very well received because currently there is nothing like this available for the tourists in the afternoon whilst they are killing time,” he said.
“We also believe this show has all the qualities to become a regular feature for international visitors who want to experience the feel of Africa whilst in transit in the capital, and could well become a drawcard for the locals as well who want to take in an afternoon show.”
Showcase Namibia is directed by Ted Scott, who has woven his magic into fine tuning the choreography, while working on dramatic elements, as well as lighting and sound. The Warehouse Theatre, situated next to the Craft Centre, opened its doors in 1989 and is known for hosting world-class local and international shows, of which this is no exception.
The show has received funding from the National Arts Council, which assists the Warehouse Theatre in putting on the show twice a week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), starting at 15h00. The plan is to ultimately offer the show as a daily feature.