Annelp: Created page with "''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito'' by Jefferson Tshabalala (19**-) == The original text == ''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito: A ta..."

2026-06-30T12:20:24Z

Created page with "''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito'' by Jefferson Tshabalala (19**-) == The original text == ''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito: A ta..."

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''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito'' by [[Jefferson Tshabalala]] (19**-)

== The original text ==

''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito: A tale of Scamtho, Ringas and Kwaito'' is a South African play billed as a "kwaito anti-musical", performed predominantly in English and iscamtho (tsotsitaal). It is a play about kwaito music — its people, memory, fans and detractors, and its place in South Africa's musical and socio-political history — told through a Soweto high school where an idealistic principal and a former-pupil-turned-teacher prepare a group of learners for a school concert.

Written and directed by [[Jefferson Tshabalala]] ("J.Bobs") and produced by [[Kiri Pink Nob Arts|Kiri Pink Nob]], the work uses Scamtho poetry to treat kwaito as a township storytelling genre and a lens on life in Johannesburg during and after apartheid. It grew out of Tshabalala's earlier production ''Location|Lekeyishene|Lokasie'' and engages with the book ''Born to Kwaito'' by Sihle Mthembu and Esinako Ndabeni. The play also exists as a published text, one of three published titles to Tshabalala's name, alongside ''Khongolose Khommanding Khommisars'' and ''Poet.O.Type''; publisher and year not yet traced.* [[Jefferson Tshabalala]] was named the 2020 [[Standard Bank Young Artist]] for Theatre and received an [[Arts and Culture Trust|ACT]] ImpACT Award in 2020.

== Performance history in South Africa ==

The play premiered at the 2019 [[National Arts Festival]], Makhanda.* The named characters include Dr Tlale (the principal), Ms Feni (the teacher) and the learners Boipelo, Liyana, Malibongwe and Khumo. The work was written and directed by [[Jefferson Tshabalala]], with [[Bernett Mulungo]] as musical director and composer (also appearing as a pianist) and [[Shruthi Nair]] as set and costume designer. It was performed by an ensemble of six: [[Andisiwe Mpinda]], [[Kopano Tshabalala]], [[Gugu Dhlamini]] (as Liyana), [[Mathews Rantsoma]], [[Lucky Ndlovu]] and [[Simpho Mathenjwa]]. Critical reception was mixed.

2019: Performed at [[The Centre for the Less Good Idea]], Maboneng, in August as part of the For Once programme.

2019: Performed at the [[Market Theatre]] (Barney Simon), Johannesburg, until 8 September.

== Sources ==

'Play "Ekasi Lam" pays tribute to kwaito & its impact on township life', ''[[Sunday Times]]'', 1 September 2019.

'Jefferson Tshabalala's Ekasi Lam turns kwaito into a medium for critical debate', ''Rosebank Killarney Gazette'', 7 October 2019.

'A tale of Scamtho, Ringas and Kwaito', ''Inner City Gazette'', 16 August 2019.

'REVIEW: Ekasi Lam – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-Owed to Kwaito', ''CULTURE Review Magazine''.

'August 2019 | For Once | Ekasi Lam'', [[The Centre for the Less Good Idea]].

Recording of the performance: https://youtu.be/7ZbDz7lgk-U?si=F3jwJjWTHLgmwSkB

Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]

== Return to ==

Return to [[ESAT Plays 1 E|E]] in Plays I Original SA Plays

Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Plays]]

Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]

Return to [[Main Page]]

Ekasi Lam - Revision history

Annelp: Created page with "''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito'' by Jefferson Tshabalala (19**-) == The original text == ''Ekasi Lam' – An Ode to Kwaito, Un-owed to Kwaito: A ta..."