Step Afrika! [Show Review]

Recently a colleague informed me of the upcoming local performance of Step Afrika!, a traveling troupe which celebrates the art for m of stepping. From the spelling of the name and from the picture on the front of the announcement I received, I wrongly assumed that Step Afrika! was a show put on by a traveling troupe of South Africans in the musical tradition of Ipi Ntombi, one of my personal favorites, and the stepping referred to was the South African gumboot dance.

However, I as I sat in the venue waiting for the program to begin, I learned, much to my chagrin, that the troupe featured only one native South African. The rest of the troupe came from colleges and universities around the country, namely Howard University in Washington, D.C.

And as the show began, I was even further disappointed. Though the opening sequence featured the most intricate, well-choreographed step routine I have ever witnessed, I did not want to spend my Sunday evening watching a ninety minute step show, so I looked around for the exit.

However, just as I was plotting my escape, the show switched gears, and for the next eighty minutes or so, the troupe led the audience on a virtual cavalcade of excitement, entertainment, and education.

Following the opening sequence which demonstrated stepping as performed by African American fraternities and sororities and provided an explanation to include a historical background in the form of a very entertaining sketch, the troupe masterfully and artfully linked that tradition to older traditions such as traditional African dance, the South African gumboot dance, and African American dance, before bringing it all full-circle with a spectacular step finale.

During the audience participation segments, I looked around at the mostly white audience in an attempt to gauge their reaction. And perhaps I should have been offended when one of a quartet of seemingly septuagenarian white ladies to my right clapped her hands together and exclaimed with glee at the very height of the performance, “This is just like negro river dancing!” I thought it was quite funny.

However, the show did not stop with the performance. Beginning on Monday, the troupe went into several local schools to work with the children as part of their arts-in-education outreach program, Stepping in Schools.

I thoroughly enjoyed the program as did my family. And if Step Afrika! is ever in your area, do yourself a favor and take in a show. You will be glad you did.

Review (Television): The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

You know I’m not a big fan of television. Practically each and every time I turn it on, I am reminded of why it is sometimes referred to as an “idiot box.” But HBO is an exception; I’ve always set aside time for the HBO Sunday night line-up. And over the years, HBO has aired a pretty consistent quality Sunday night line-up (if you discount that minstrel-like buffoonery that was Def Comedy Jam).

It looks like the latest made for HBO series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency follows this same tradition of excellence. My wife, who is much more of a critic than I, concurs. And if she likes it, it must be something to it. However, my wife accuses me of enjoying the series only because it stars Jill Scott, and I am a huge Jill Scott fan. And she might be right (I love’em pretty and thick). But there are many other reasons for giving this one a chance.

Thus far in the series, the storylines have been simple but entertaining. The head lady detective, Jill Scott’s character Precious Ramotswe, stumbles into about three cases, and she solves them using simply her guile and wits. According to HBO, “Precious Ramotswe exemplifies the courageous efforts by real-life Africans to improve the quality of their lives while preserving their culture.”

There are hints that there is a deeper back story; circumstances in her past have pushed her to where she is now. The death of her father seems to figure prominently. Also, there appears as if heartbreak played a role. Bits and pieces of her background are revealed each episode. Also, the whole of the series is shot on location in Botswana, Africa, which leads to breathtaking scenes of the African countryside.

Only two episodes have been shown so far, and the show still seems to be building a relationship with the audience, but this one definitely looks promising. It airs each Sunday at 8 pm EST and again at 10. Check out the clip below.



Also, following The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, HBO has just begun another new series, Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices. BNV chronicles the journey of groups of youths from several cities throughout the United States as they compete to represent their cities at the July 2008 Brave New Voices Spoken Word Festival in Washington, DC. Stay to check this one out as well.