Story by Farai Gwaze
A powerful Zimbabwean theatrical production centred on the reclamation of stolen ancestral artefacts is set to feature at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival next month.
Titled “Song Unburied”, the production confronts colonial-era looting of sacred artefacts and ancestral remains.
Multi-award-winning Actress Charmaine Mujeri articulates the production’s emotional core,.
“The importance of this story is that we lost part of ourselves, we lost things we would use in our ceremonies, and not having the bones of our ancestors and spiritual leaders, it left a gap or vacuum.
“We must remember that the Chimurenga was won because of our spirits, that unified front, and when you remove the core of what we are as Zimbabweans, then it’s almost like a tree with no roots, and we really need those artefacts back, we need our bones back.”
Co-star, Dalma Chiwevera, reveals the intensity of preparing for Edinburgh after their recent state theatre triumph in Pretoria, South Africa.
“The preparations have been crazy as we are working so hard to make sure that we bring the story to life, just like we did when we were at the state theatre in South Africa. So we keep going to different places and countries and it’s exciting that we are going to the Edinburgh Festival. It is really amazing and it takes a lot of emotions as well because it’s a story about our ancestors,” she said.
The play incorporates mbira, ngoma and ritual choreography to dramatise how stolen relics created spiritual ruptures.
The project comes at a time when several UK museums are in the process of returning human remains, including skulls, to Zimbabwe. These remains, taken during the colonial era, are believed to be those of Zimbabwean heroes and heroines who fought against British rule.
