One factor that stood out in researching the culture/arts facts about Nigeria was how music and performance has been used throughout centuries to evoke social change. When watching the short film"Binta and the Great Idea," it was interesting to see how this African village used theatre as a means to show Soda's father how times have changed. In some ways it reminded me of any episode you would see on Nicklodean or The Disney Channel. Young students put together a play to convince a parent to change their view about someting. Only this wasnt California, they didnt have an elaborate set to extreme for the world of school age students. This piece showed you vivid aspects of the community. The mud homes, the illiteracy of the parents and the cycles that keep these situations the norm. The same revelations were discovered when researching Fela Kuti. It was important for me to identify an artist who had an impact on the culure. His anti-government messages were embraced my Nigerians of a lower class. His creation of his own political party to empower the people caused a change in their perspective and view of how Nigeria could be run. His music is loaded with the pain, struggles and hopes that he experienced in his community. How remarkable twelve years after his death, the magic of theatre is used to continue to spread his message. It mystifies audiences using engaging aesthetics to educate and inspire.
This type of expression transcends race and can be obsered in every culture. We can put whatever title on it that we want. I believe its greater than a label or category. It's the means by which social injustices are told so that the affects resonate in every part of your being. It's listening, seeing, experiencing that subject through a myriad of lenses. It's an expression that will only get stronger as more media outlets arise for it to be seen and embraced.
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The World of Mai Lanfang to me is the best answer to what you've written here Jackie. I see his political activism throughout his life. It seems to me that this is a current theme in all forms of cultural theatre. That is, the socio-political work that is done by both these and other cultures.
It has been very apparent to me in our recent discovery of Mexican theatre. The cultural work done by the indigenous peoples of Mexico, when taking on Spanish drama, is reminiscent of the play staged in “Binta and the Great idea”. (Bear with me here I haven’t seen all of Binta and the great idea, just that clip in class) In taking on western theatre conventions she succeeds making a statement in safe manner without placing herself and the village women in danger or reprisal. In the recent article we read in class it stated something that I found to support the benefits from the absorption of western forms of theatre. “On the other hand, as in all Carnival-like events, fiesta performances provide a site for the conventional forms of authority to be overturned, at least symbolically.”
I know that my fellow classmates will disagree with me entirely on this. I don’t think that the advent of western theatrical traditions in other countries produced entirely negative consequences. The socio-political effects of westerners were taken and adapted to serve in each countries own way. And in turn each theatrical artist in every country we have studied continues to use these theatre forms and their own to affect political statements in their own specific way.
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