Alexandrians, who were once in the forefront of cultural, theatrical and music vibrancy in Johannesburg, have been urged to rekindle this lost history by joining the fight to preserve some of their dying cultural identities.
This was emphasised by Castle Milk Stout brand manager, Khensani Mkhombo in an interview with Alex News at the launch of the brand’s cultural activities this year which is in line with the recent celebrations of Heritage Month in September.
“It is paramount that as communities we stand up and defend and preserve our dying cultural values, as once epitomised by former Botswana founding President Sir Seretse Khama, who once said ‘a nation without culture is like a face without a nose’.
“As a custodian of African heritage, Castle Milk Stout was inspired by our consumers’ efforts to constantly bring to the table conversations about heritage that need to take place in the mainstream. The issue of endangered cultural practices was high on the agenda of our consumers’ concerns, and we responded accordingly,” Mkhombo added.
Mkhombo said the brand had partnered with award-winning film director, Lebogang Rasethaba to produce a short film, Last Stories of Culture. The film is aimed at creating a platform to encourage the conservation of the diverse cultures of Africans through the telling of the stories of two powerhouse matriarchs umama Madosini and ouma Katrina Esau.
Madosini is an award-winning musical legend from the Eastern Cape and Esau is the last person on earth who can fluently speak the endangered N|uu language.
“I call upon the community of Alexandra to join us in this fight to preserve our dying cultural activities and ensure we preserve them for posterity and the enjoyment by our future generations to come. This is a fight that we must win at all costs,” Mkhombo said.
Several African practices and traditions are slowly facing extinction due to the lack of preservation, and Castle Milk Stout through its Heritage Month campaign, chose the highly sought-after director to document the journeys and rich heritages of two of South Africa’s last cultural doyens of Koi-San and AmaXhosa linguistic and musical institutions.
The short film is available to the public on various Facebook pages, Instagram, YouTube and on www.castlemilkstout.co.za, and illuminates the role that some South Africans are playing at an indigenous level to help safeguard the endangered African customs and traditions.
Over the past few months, Rasethaba spent time with the two matriarchs to learn and unpack ouma Katrina’s wish to save her language from being lost to humanity forever, and ugogo Madosini’s efforts to pass on her gift of playing the umrhubhe and uhadi to the next generation.
He then documented his journey in a heartwarming and thought-provoking manner that aims to motivate the younger generation to learn about their cultures as they are in danger of being no more if enough is not done to preserve them.
