Celebrating the African renaissance
The first episode of a new thirteen-part educational youth television show will debut on SABC1 at 6.30pm from 6 February 2007. Ziyawa La will articulate the wave of cultural expressions being embraced by the South African youth.
Mpho Moagi, youth editor at SABC Education, says, "A new wave of cultural expressions is being embraced by South African youth, a movement creating and shaping an African spirit. Ziyawa La reflects a national shift from 'chasing the American dream' to embracing the motherland. New Age Africans are taking their rich cultural heritage of music, poetry, afro-chic, clothes, food, living space and language and defining themselves."
Ziyawa La is a studio-based magazine show that celebrates this attitude. The show will dare viewers to be proud of their roots and entice them with South African cultures. The show includes people from all walks of life, representing the cultures of the rainbow nation as a whole.
Ziyawa La, produced for SABC Education by Touch Down Africa will include live performances by prominent and emerging artists, interviews with African artists who have found success in embracing their heritage, entertaining inserts about movements in different forms of cultural expressions and a book club where an audience member will be invited in studio to talk about the last book they read. Ziyawa La is predominantly Nguni and Sotho and incorporates English through interviews.
Says Tsoana Nhlapo, presenter of the show, "Ziyawa La represents guys like me; we are all about redefining our artistic endeavours. The show creates a space to express art and to foster the spirit of the African renaissance. We are all encouraged to speak our mother tongue. My goal is to learn and master all South African languages and then host all nationalities in one show."
