GAY & LESBIAN PRIDE NEWS
Nana - Five loaves, two fish, one fantastic voice and a Pride party that's gonna knock you dead!
Greg MacKenzie-Forbes | September 02, 2004
Sitting perfectly content to answer as many questions as I wished, Nana exuded confidence. Her presence overwhelmed the guests sitting around her. "A complete package", I said. Totally original, Nana is one of South Africa's treasures, ready to be discovered.
A softly spoken diva, Nana is what many of South Africa's hopefuls wish to be. Strong, independent and rich – like bitter chocolate.
Having struggled from an early age to be the songbird she was meant to be, Nana has seen her fair share of upheaval and discrimination. Born in Mbabane, Swaziland the twenty something year old beauty has come a long way. Defying her father, who wanted his daughter to be a doctor, Nana took on the world that demanded her to silence her smooth, sensual, sexual voice. Her debut album, Five Loaves and Two Fish is testament to this.
Her songs playing in the background gave me insight to the woman that sat before me. The long deadlocks platted and beaded, the earth red top she wore, and her yearning singing voice demanding recognition - this is what an artist is. Her message was simple, "Africans have a low self-esteem. We fail to appreciate who we are from the inside. We rely on the external for acceptance". I could not help but equate this message to those in the gay and lesbian community who invest so much in the gratifications of the external, which it is often at the cost of the internal.
Nana will be performing at this year's annual Pride festivities, to be held on
Saturday, 25 September once again at Zoo Lake in Johannesburg. Attendees will most definitely be treated to a singer who has masterfully fused the styles of Eartha Kitt with the tantalizing African spice of Miriam Makeba.
"But why perform at the Pride march?" I asked. Her response came without any hesitation, "Because, like I, they have known what it is to be denied something that is wanted so badly."
For Nana the annual Pride march is as much fun as it is war. "The Pride march is a celebration of the rights won, however it is also a declaration that these rights will not be lost and that total equality will be fought for."
"Until that time when members of the same sex are allowed to make a lasting and legally recognized bond, equality will not have been achieved. The prevailing sentiment is that same sex marriages are not 'correct'. This is what must be fought against. Marriage should be for love, regardless."
To Nana, many people fail to accept and understand her. The voice heard in the background is not in the familiar style of a Madonna, or of the late Brenda. It is her own, as is her style. "As I have been misunderstood and not accepted, so have the gay and lesbian community."
But Nana has purposefully rejected the notion that she has to conform to what people expect of her - she is an individual with a voice that is hers, and she urges many to follow suit. "So often people are too scared to be themselves out of the fear of not being accepted. Reject the notion that you have to be accepted. Life is too short to be frustrated and worry about the material things in life."
Wrapping up the interview that had me enthralled, Nana had one more things to say, "In order to win the war, the homosexual and bisexual community needs to stand together, and not sell out to an idea that they are less than equal. All previously disadvantaged communities need to stand and demand that they be recognized."
Nana will be making a guest appearance at the Pride celebrations. Her rich, seductive voice, will offer a grateful break from the humdrum repetitive garbage that we are so often subjected to. This is an artist that is sure to make waves. Watch for her – she is gonna be big!
Competition
Answer one simple question and stand a chance to win one of 5 Nana CD's courtesy of Gallo Music. Five Loaves and Two Fish is a must have for any CD collection.
Question: Where and when will Nana be performing in September?
Email your answer to: competition@gmax.co.za
Related
Jhb Pride – The Wedding March! [26/07/2004]
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