Nora Chipaumire’s ‘Nehanda.’
Scenes from nora chipaumire’s “Nehanda.”
A powerful ‘Nehanda’ explores colonialism, spirituality in stunning, immersive performance
“Nehanda” is a performance by artist nora chipaumire that defies description. The piece probes the Zimbabwean fight for independence and its colonial history, through the legend of Nehanda, a spirit that embodies only women and is venerated by the Shona people in Zimbabwe and central Mozambique.
The complete performance runs five and a half hours, but a one-hour slice will be performed at ArtsEmerson May 17-21. The music is a powerful part of this experience. It has been described as an African opera, but listeners will find instruments and sounds new to that genre, like turntables, Ngoma drums and samples of field recordings. “Nehanda” is multisensory, impactful on every level.
“It’s beautiful, it’s powerful, it smells, it’s acoustically sensational,” says Peter van Heerden, a member of the show’s developmental team and the actor playing The
Empire. “The story that’s been told is so rich and big and fat and it
continues to live on in some way because colonialism’s not dead.”
chipaumire
grew up in what was then called Umtali, Rhodesia (now Mutare, Zimbabwe)
and was educated under a system that forced colonial narratives on
Black native Africans. Her experiences inform this work, but it’s told
in much broader terms, encapsulating the deep connection and history of
native Zimbabweans to their land and the deep, long term impact of
colonialism on the culture.
“Nehanda”
is not a comfortable piece of art. And it’s not supposed to be.
Audience members sit on stage with the cast, they are complicit in the
action and can choose how to react. They can sit in silence and merely
observe or they can chant in unison with the cast.
“You’re
not coming to watch a pantomime. You’re not coming to watch a 90-minute
play or a 20- minute movie,” says van Heerden. “We’re asking you to
come for five and half hours, be present, be engaged, be part of what is
happening and have the experience. If you’re not ready to do that,
don’t waste your time.”
The
performance has only been done in full once, but the team has plans to
perform all five and half hours in Montreal later this year. “Nehanda”
is at its most powerful when taken in full. For now, Boston will be
stirred by this onehour selection of the piece.
“For
my entire life I have been in search of justice and Nehanda is the
spirit of justice,” says nora chipaumire. “Whenever [the performers] sit
with the public in any city, including Boston, that is success.”
ON THE WEB
Learn more at artsemerson.org/events/nehanda