Lekae Combrinck-Nawa
The opening of Lifted-Let the Blind Sing was officially held at The South African State Theatre in Pretoria on Sunday the 6th of August, 2023.
The musical theatre production is a collaboration of The South African State Theatre in association with Arts in Motion and will run until the 27th of August 2023, after a successful season in 2022.
The event was graced by the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mrs. Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu who remarked that “elements of the play had scenes that reminded her of her own story.” The Deputy Minister herself has a visual impairment.
Lifted- Let the blind Sing is a production created with the intention to embrace, bring awareness, and promote musical artists with disabilities. The production is a musical celebration embracing the talent of artists with different forms of disabilities. It also empowers and celebrates disabled persons by giving them a professional platform to showcase their talents.
The production is inspired by daily happenings in society. Zakhele Mabena, known as Mr. Pro, is the brains behind the production. He grew up in Soshanguve and is the founder of Arts in Motion music academy theatre. He is a producer, director and a music composer who won awards for best musical director in Shaka Zulu, as well as best scoring and arranging for Marikana the Musical. He wrote and produced productions like Isambulo and Meriring (The Salon). Like many artists, he grew up loving music to a point where he would make his own musical instruments with rubbish cans.
Mabena felt that the theatre space has been missing productions that speak to the community of persons with disabilities. He also felt that it was about time that productions that are inclusive of artists with disabilities are showcased on the big stages. His initiative was rather an intentional process to change the status quo of the music industry in relation to artists with disabilities.
“We evidently see it in many street corners in and around the cities. Those who have disabilities and depend on basking on the street corners should also have access to mainstream ways of performing.” Mabena said.
“I’m a family man; I really value family, and I am self-driven and motivated. I love excellence and professionalism. I’ve always believed that I am called to change lives through my art and that thought kept me going and encouraged me to look for artists and mould them. I went out to the streets to look for disabled artists that are basking at the street corners, and these are people that we’ve been passing every day around Pretoria CBD. Some of the cast members are artists that have been in the industry for years, but they disappeared after they had physical impediment,” he continued.
The musical features a vibrant cast of artists with different disabilities and a band consisting of musicians such as The Ga-Rankuwa Requesters, a sextet of talented blind musical artists accompanied by mainstream artists with disabilities such as Gospel singers Tshepo Nkadimeng, Maira Skosana and Sebenzile ‘’Sebeh’’ Kuzwayo as well as Bongani Khoza and the outstanding guitarist William Matsemela. In addition, Lekae Combrick-Nawa a multimedia artist with a disability is a feature cast member in the show. And the award-winning singer, Nhlanhla Dube as a narrator of the show.
Tickets for the production are available online from Webtickets, Pick n Pay stores nationwide and SAST box office at only R150. BUY TICKETS HERE FROM WEBTICKETS
