Manana the Jazz Prophet

Manana the Jazz Prophet is a musical play by Gibson Kente (1932-2004).

Fashioned around virtuoso performance numbers, it was written and first performed by Kente's company in 1963.

The original text

The play was based on the influences of religious entertainment. It was about a man who felt that he could draw children away from the streets into the church by giving services that would entertain them.

Performance history in South Africa

1961: First performed in the city of Johannesburg and went on a tour of the townships. Produced by Ian Bernhardt. The cast included Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya.

Sources

Andile Xaba. 2021. 'Collective memory and the construction of a historical narrative, analysis and interpretation of selected Soweto-based community plays (1984–1994)'. Unpublished PhD thesis.

'The return of Kente'. Mail and Guardian. 10 January 1997

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