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Afrimaxx takes a look behind the scenes of a new ballet production which blends mythology with Amapiano. Across Africa, young creatives are reinterpreting cultural heritage in ways that bridge the past and the present.
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00:06some stories live on forever because creatives always find new ways to tell them today i'm
00:13out at jovic theater in johannesburg to experience one of the world's oldest plays that has been
00:19reimagined through african dance music and movement in the bakai an african choral belay
00:27but before we get into all of the movement here's what's coming up we check out how neom daga
00:33builds order from chaos in south africa through her architecture meet kwesi ejepong from ghana
00:40who has mastered the art of collecting memories and making them unforgettable and in dakar senegal
00:47we find out which stories lie within what we eat every day so let's try some dakar food
00:55my name is iti meling and this is afrmax
01:14let's start off out in malawi a few things are more closely linked to our identity than what we wear
01:20but what happens when a fabric that has been widely celebrated as african doesn't even have
01:26african origins well a creative collective out in blantyre is asking that very question they're
01:34challenging perceptions and also sparking important conversations around culture identity as well as
01:42heritage what does a revolution look like on a sewing machine in blantyre malawi one team is tired of
01:49wearing tradition designed in europe they're printing a new mythology a lot of what we saw as malawian
01:56fashion was based on cheating and as i got older it didn't feel authentic to me because i realized it
02:04wasn't designed or made by malawians it was something that was imported to us from european countries the
02:11chitanga fabric everyone calls traditional is actually designed and printed in europe to be truly
02:17malawian they had to start from the thread up a lot of the patterns and print that you see in
02:23the
02:23markets in a lot of the shops is mass produced we create our patterns to order to avoid wastage as
02:32well
02:32we create our own custom prints and each one tells a story a very unique malawian stories
02:40the collective formed in 2020 starting with upcycle denim taking what the world threw away and making it
02:48theirs denim is one of the most durable materials that you could have and we didn't want to just make
02:55fast fashion or clothing that would then disintegrate really fast we wanted it in a way to also represent
03:02what we're trying to do for our culture which is find a way to preserve it long term keep it
03:09alive and
03:10also make it meaningful this jacket is part of our elders collection and it was inspired by water tribes
03:22from the northern part of malawi and so the blue represents the water and the orange represents the sunset
03:29um because malawi is known for its embers or what we call the lake of stars between work we really
03:37just
03:38like to play and experiment with different types of art forms so there's like lots of different pieces
03:43here this one is by an artist called akulu who is a really good digital artist this one is by
03:51dave who is
03:52also a digital artist and then this one is by kenobi who is also our videographer i think it's important
03:59um even as designers to have time to play and in that sort of place when you also discover different
04:06things um that then can be bought into the textile different fonts different um shapes different ways of
04:14interpreting just cultural life in a way that translates to fabric
04:21this march the stakes are rising the team is filming a major fashion movie to launch their new line
04:29it's a shoot within a shoot to document their growth right now we are in land at cbd we're shooting
04:36a scene
04:36from the fashion film i think the film serves two purposes on one end it's a challenge to ourselves
04:43because uh for the most part i think we're usually very reserved about telling our story so the film is
04:47like challenging us to get out of our comfort zone like right now we're in the middle of town people
04:50are looking at us weird and whatnot like she's dressed in that so it's challenging is just to be more
04:57expressive and just find new ways of expression um what internal is doing for us is also just to give
05:02us
05:02a timeline of where we're coming from and where we're going because like this we have clothes from like
05:07three years back that are still intact so this is just another form of making an archive for the zanji
05:12collective so that down the line we're able to still find maybe in we had a capsule collection in
05:162022 that looked like this we did something with masks and maybe in 2025 or 2027 we're doing xyz
05:25the collective is evolving into a symbol of economic self-reliance success here could change the
05:31entire local textile industry it's a gamble on identity what we are trying to do is take art
05:39a tradition and fashion and put them together in a way that's sustainable that is accessible but also
05:44fun for people in a way that they can relate like telling stories through the different patterns and
05:50the different motifs but doing it in a way that any regular person on any given day can look at
05:55something and say i really like that and it speaks to my culture and i can understand the message in
06:00it but also look really cool in it kantic isn't something you buy from a container at the port
06:06in malawi it's something you build yourself
06:11every great performance has a solid structure but once the music gets going the rules get rewritten
06:17and only a few people know this better than professional ballerina
06:24so latoya you're famous for mixing classical ballet together with ama piano just how hard is it
06:31to bring the two worlds together the biggest challenge for me as a dancer is to make sure
06:36that both the dance styles have their own identity and keep them as i fuse the two together ballet gives
06:42me a lot of technique precision and lots of discipline while ama piano allows me to be free and it
06:48brings
06:49a lot of groove and culture they both have to keep their own identity today you get to perform
06:53alongside a live vocal choir as opposed to just using a quieter orchestra tell me what the difference
06:59is and what energy you think this is going to bring to have the choir behind us while we're dancing
07:04you
07:04really do feel the music you don't just hear it so they do bring a very lively energy while we're
07:09dancing
07:10and the atmosphere is amplified and it makes the performance feel a bit more grounded a bit more
07:15human and i definitely move more with a lot more of intention in my movements a lot of people when
07:21they think of ballet they think of old european classical boring type of dance if you were to
07:27see how you have immersed yourself within this world how do you made it more lively and more you
07:32classical ballet is the foundation of any type of movement that i explore and i do have deep respect
07:37for ballet's heritage but i think when i dance as an african artist i bring my identity to the art
07:43form
07:43kind of showing that it can continue to grow whilst they're respecting its roots
07:49whether you're composing performances or constructing new buildings every great idea
07:55starts way before people see the final result in johannesburg architect noong daga is working
08:02tirelessly behind the scenes helping turn ambitious concepts into physical spaces
08:10what does it look like when a young black woman claims the future of south african construction
08:16it's not about noise it's about the power of clarity a different perspective of a black
08:22woman in architect is really needed so i really want to encourage them that you know you shouldn't
08:28you shouldn't doubt yourself and your creative ideas you shouldn't you should believe in yourself and
08:34you should really not doubt your creative skills you have a lot to contribute in this industry
08:41meet neum daka architectural draft person and visionary she's rewriting the blueprint of how
08:47south africa bulls bringing dignity and intention to an industry long defined by the margins in the team
08:54um me being the the one who communicates frequently with the client now this is me being a client relation
09:03uh part of things and then she is more the one who now bring the look and feel of how
09:08the project is
09:09going to look like the materials that she's going to we're also going to use and pardon on the other
09:14side is a very technical guy who goes into uh the nitty grits is how this design is going to
09:20look like
09:21and in that we're able to come together with those it's a set of unique skills neo specializes in
09:29experience architecture designing the full journey of a space from first sketch to final handover
09:34she leads with a precision system that kills the chaos and cuts the waste construction is generally a
09:41very stressful uh industry to be in right so we create systems and the systems we make sure that
09:50there's only one communication line in a field where black women are still the exception nail is the
09:56rule she isn't just managing projects she's shattering expectations in spaces where female
10:01leadership has never been the norm she's a good team leader she doesn't enforce labor or whatsoever
10:11she allows you to be free and do and speak your mind and bring your ideas to life
10:18from residential dreams to commercial interiors neo's work is about integrity creating spaces that
10:25feel intentional functional and thinking human on a daily basis as the architecture we get a lot of
10:32projects that are residential base right and we have created templates for them and we know how to go
10:39about it so in this case we have come across um more of a commercial and commercial going into
10:47we try to then incorporate a barber to also create some kind of culture inside the shop her process is
10:57holistic every craft from the lighting to the joinery is aligned from day one neo superpower turning
11:04specialist into a single high performing squad so what makes this particular project unique is that
11:10everything is in in-house from the design stage up to the construction part of things so we took the
11:18client through you know the design stage of things and then we showed him how then we're going to incorporate
11:24or execute um how the shop is going to look like the materials um showing him the 3d designs and
11:32everything and then started introducing him to the team now from the electrical guy up to um the plumbing
11:39the tiling guy and showing him how the final product is going to look like for neo leadership means opening
11:47the door behind her she's mentoring the next generation of designers giving them the tools to thrive in rooms that
11:53weren't always ready for them the legacy that i want to leave behind is having to create more employment
12:01investing in young people also to help especially people who come from unrepresented background
12:09in her world every space tells a story of care collaboration and purpose
12:18questioning what we inherit is not just solely limited to fashion artists here at the bakai
12:24backstage are also rethinking traditions and asking themselves how old stories can find new relevance
12:30to understand as to how this is done through music let's go and meet nil menyanga who is a sound
12:36artist as well as composer of the bakai now the bakai has been around for over 2000 years just how
12:44have you
12:44made it seem relevant emotionally to this day it's an eternal story because it's about power and the
12:52competition between the rule of order and the rule of chaos so i've found strands of the story that talk
13:01about
13:01power but also talk about the desire for more freedom and more chaos in our contemporary society
13:07and within the creative process what has surprised you the most the challenge is always how do you pull
13:14the different conversations together so the one language is dance particularly classical dance ballet
13:20and the other language is um written notation for classical musicians uh i live in the confluence of the
13:28two so i write for classically trained players and i've worked a lot with dance so i have a an
13:34empathy
13:34for what dances require bringing a choir to work with a live orchestra and adding ballet singers is just
13:42adding three complexities and so bringing the bridges to make sense it's been the biggest challenge
13:52movement only lasts for that moment but through photography it has the power to last forever
13:58this is exactly why ghanian photographer kwasi ajepong has dedicated his career to capturing
14:07some moments can't be rehearsed they happen once and if you miss them they are gone that's where
14:13ghanian photographer kwasi asante japon feels most at home weddings are very very chaotic they are full of
14:20emotions so we have to try and position yourself in a way when when those emotions happen for instance when
14:26the bride is getting ready her mom walks in and then shares the first oh wow you're looking so good
14:31it's supposed to be a happy smiling moment but you realize that the bride starts tearing up and
14:35you have to be ready to capture all of those things because those things happen and you might not get
14:39the same reaction again so you have to be ready for moments like that and have you ever attended a
14:45marriage ceremony where culture was present but you didn't truly understand it
14:52today weddings are bigger louder more global but beneath the aesthetics some traditions still carry
15:00weight even if not everyone fully understands them i'm trying to use my love for photography my
15:06love for weddings my love for love to tell beautiful stories as i almost enjoying my marriage and enjoying
15:12beautiful moments in my marriage most often our style is natural light mixed with continuous light so for
15:18a chrisi and bettine's traditional the bride requested that we should bring a canvas backdrop
15:22for her for her look and usually for something like that i'll ask you what you're wearing i like
15:26to see the colors in the kinte so that can help me decide on the kind of backdrop that will
15:30bring
15:31and help her kinte had some pinks in there so we brought a canvas backdrop that had some pink
15:36and blues which i think honestly worked well for for the look
15:42in a time where weddings are becoming more wasting what does it mean to have a truly ghanaian
15:47traditional marriage a lot of things happen at the wedding day brides dresses getting torn
15:53the rain gets in missing a lot of things happen that people don't get to see but we try
15:58at the end of the day to make sure that the bride and groom are happy but i don't feel
16:01nervous
16:02i just hope and pray that everything goes well and the bride and groom at the end of the day
16:06are husband and wife
16:06before the dress the pictures the party there's the moment families take very seriously miss it and
16:14nothing else matter tradition is a very beautiful thing and i decided to go with a traditional
16:20wedding because that speaks more about our culture and i just like how the diary is taken and it's a
16:27beautiful thing to witness it's just so beautiful and i can't wait to meet my husband there and observe
16:32such a beautiful ceremony well nice to be in kente so yeah we're going all out on the tradition and
16:40i
16:40just want to have a good day
16:45the marriage ceremony begins with knocking a respectful request from the groom's family not
16:50for permission but for honor and this is led by an mc well vested in customs and tradition
17:00the dowry which is presented to the bride's family consists of drinks and wrapped gift items but what
17:07has actually been exchanged yeah i would say things presented to the bride's family i would say bible is
17:13number one then drinks accessories for the bride the money is for the in-law let me let me emphasize
17:21on this the money issue the money doesn't mean we are selling the woman to the uh to the groom
17:27debbie
17:29what we normally use the money just uh you know to to seal the marriage in our family we normally
17:34request for whiskey or other castle bridge so when somebody come you can use that drink to show the
17:41person i know as soon as he has been taken off from the market then come the moment christy never
17:46looks
17:47away from eyes searching hands hesitating a second that tells the truth some bride and grooms are very
17:55playful they are very fun already they have a certain kind of vibe so but couples like that we don't
18:00do
18:00much you just just tell them to be in the moment and as a professional photographer you have to be
18:04in
18:04a space where you have to allow the moments to happen naturally and not coach sometimes you have to
18:10tell them to probably turn this way or maybe at their moments when you have a bed and groom who
18:15when
18:15book us we say oh please we've seen your pictures we've seen your videos we know how you're able to
18:19pose so please we are no good we don't know how to pose so please pose us every step of
18:23the way and so
18:24we have couples who give us that autonomy to do that and the couples too who know what to do
18:30today's
18:30wedding the bride was very very fluent she was very poised she knew what to do you just have to
18:35tweak
18:35a little bit so when you when you get a couple like that you just sit back and allow them
18:40to do their
18:40thing and just capture the moments in Ghanaian culture marriage is never just between two people
18:46so to those witnessing it all how does it feel to be part of it today is extremely special to
18:53me
18:53because it's not just my sister's wedding but it's also my best friend's wedding um to see her this
19:00happy to see her this colorful i mean if you see how beautiful she looks it means everything to us
19:06so
19:06seeing my sister getting married to the love of her life today makes everything about today so special
19:12to me it's a very colorful day we are so happy to be here what makes a Ghanaian marriage truly
19:19Ghanaian
19:20is not what you see first it's what you understand later and through crisis lens these are not just
19:27memories being kept their meanings being protected photographs carry with them so many memories but so
19:41does food some ingredients and recipes travel for generations carry with them stories tradition and
19:48culture in dakar senegalese chefs and food creatives are giving familiar recipes a whole new identity
19:58welcome to dakar the land of taranga together let's discover authentic flavors culinary traditions
20:04and exceptional talent join me for a unique experience and let me take you on a journey through dakar
20:10one dish at a time but before heading to our first stop marie is drawn to one of dakar's countless
20:18markets in search of a special delicacy that here everyone seems to know
20:23this is confit de mad mad fruit cooked with sugar
20:33it's very good the mad fruit is cooked with sugar in long-standing tradition sweet slightly sour and full
20:41of energy for many it's the taste of their childhood it's to die for confit de mad is often combined
20:52with
20:52different fruits so this is passion fruit it's got a bit of a kick
20:58or as a savory variation these are dried prawns cockles and tamarind
21:08he's gonna add some and show us how to eat it mad is street food with character simple but bold
21:15but
21:15dakar cuisine is more than just snacks a new food movement is growing
21:21everyone knows fast food but do you also know slow food mbayang ning sees herself as an activist for
21:30mindful eating and she has an ambitious mission my dream is to change the eating habits of the senegalese
21:40contrary to what you might think slow food doesn't mean eating slowly it means knowing what we eat
21:46and why we don't need to eat unhealthy foods that aren't suited to our bodies instead we should eat
21:54what we grow ourselves in a healthy way mbayang is raising awareness of traditional foods long
22:01sidelined by colonial era imports like weed and maize whose impact is still felt today
22:09we have all these grains in senegal but we don't know many dishes or many ways to prepare them
22:16so i'm trying to introduce people to them i use millet corn sorghum and also fonio to make meals
22:24for example with fonio we make something called tibou fonio it's fonio with millet and fish or fonio with meat
22:36fonio is one of west africa's oldest grains gluten-free and valued as easy to digest
22:41on her social media mbayang shows how slow food fits into daily life cooking with her community
22:51and highlighting flavorful local alternatives to imported grains
23:02from a truly local grain to perhaps the most french of all pastries naturally with a distinct dakar twist
23:12now i'm going to take you to a secret place where no one has access but me
23:17we're going to discover and taste some typically senegalese macaroons macaroons are a classic french
23:24patisserie a colonial legacy yvonne cease takes the technique and fills it with senegalese flavors
23:33i found macaroons in some pastry shops and one day while i was having dinner i reached into the box
23:40but then i thought there's a problem i have raspberry macaroons pistachio macaroons but on the table there's
23:47hibiscus tea and porridge so i said to my daughters i can't find any macaroons with local flavors and they
23:54said you can make macaroons her macaroons now travel to france proof that local culture can compete globally
24:03as our journey comes to an end marie wants to take us to one of her favorite places
24:10this is an iconic restaurant in puente des almendies it specializes in all kinds of seafood and fish and
24:17it's my favorite thanks to dakar's location on the atlantic ocean seafood isn't a luxury it's part of
24:25everyday life what marie especially enjoys are oysters a prized local delicacy along the senegalese coast
24:32look how plump they are how beautiful how good so i'm going to show you how i eat them a
24:39little lemon
24:40here we go
24:50excellent
24:55from mad to macaroons from fonio to the day's catch
24:58dakar is a city of culinary contrasts featuring cuisine that preserves tradition while daring to
25:04explore the new
25:12today we got to see some traditions being revisited some identities being reimagined and some ideas
25:18being turned into something completely new we traveled all the way from senegal to malawi
25:24and even ancient greece with the bakai that is proof that great ideas can travel across borders
25:31and even centuries just like that we have reached the end of another exciting episode
25:37for myself and the rest of the team thanks for watching apri max
25:43so
25:43the
25:47the
25:48the
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