21 January 2005

By Robert Tlholoe and Clifford Mogotsi

FROM the dusty streets of Kagiso to the stages of Europe, this is the story of Nomsa Matiwane, a talented dancer in the hit musical Umoja: The Spirit of Togetherness.

The 27-year-old has travelled the world with the cast of Umoja - something she had not even considered as a youngster.

Umoja first stomped on to the South African stage in 2002 to critical acclaim and has toured the globe - from Swaziland to Singapore, England to Canada.

The musical is a lively and colourful - and, at times, poignant - look at the evolution of South African music from its rural roots to the vibrant jazz of the townships, through the hardships of the migrant labourers and forced removals of the 1950s.

The history of the music is told through song and dance, from the powerful rhythms of tribal music to the intricate steps of gumboot dancing, the foot-stomping jazz of Sophiatown, the uplifting full-throated joy of Gospel and the pounding energy of kwaito and pantsula.

Although Matiwane sang in the school choir at Madiba High School, she "didn't think it would go anywhere".

After school she enrolled to do a course in management and legal practices at a college in Krugersdorp, but boredom - and the need for exercise - led her to join the Isikangwane cultural dance group. There she was introduced to gumboot dancing as well as singing and acting.

"I saw something of value and I was hooked," she says.

Next came the audition for Umoja, and her acceptance was like a dream come true. Since joining the cast, Matiwane has undergone rigorous training and is now the consummate professional. The show receives standing ovations wherever they go, with the superb choral sounds and precision footwork mesmerising audiences everywhere.

"Sasa", as she is called by her family and friends, says that through Umoja she has learnt about her culture, music and the history of her people. She plans to use this knowledge. "I have learned about my culture, my music and I want to go back to my community and teach others."

Like Matiwane, many in the cast also come from disadvantaged communities.

As the first born and bread winner for siblings, Tebogo (21) and Hlengiwe (15), and her unemployed mother Thoko, Matiwane says she misses them very much when she is away on tour.

But she is quick to add that she loves her job and enjoys meeting different people across the globe.

But now that she is back home - at least for a while - Matiwane can be seen cat walking down the streets of Kagiso in her dyed jeans and sparkling beads.