The hum of the generator reverberates across Igshaan Adams spacious studio in Maitland. Loadshedding is a potent reminder of the various ways power manifests. Tonight is a reflection on the political nature of sound and how it relates to gentrification. Christie van Zyl's multimedia work Sacrificial Lamb is a powerful counterpoint to Ayesha Mukadam's documentary Takbir. Under lockdown the community of Salt River gathered together to find a way to collectively celebrate Labarang, which is a popular term used in the Cape to refer to Eid. Residents would line up on their stoeps and porches and participate in the performances of takbir. A beautiful way to acknowledge the Muslim community that characterizes much of the area. Sacrificial Lamb on the other hand mapped out the communities of Woodstock and Salt River. Van Zyl noted the absence of formalised spaces for other indigenous forms of spirituality to be practised.
The night continued with a sonic performance by Adon Geel and Kujenga which utilised excerpts for Dr Lwando Scott's essay, 'Whose Heritage Matters: Monuments of the Marginalised'.
Organised sound, the absence of it, and the ability to make sense of what is being communicated were contested. The conclusion from a heated discussion were bodies stomping, writhing, bobbing, and clapping to music. The music of the night allowed for a catharsis or a willing into joy, an invitation to reflect in another language.
