Songa

A bridge. A break. A spiral.This episode unfolds as a reflexive interlude—a moment of return and resonance. SONGA dwells in the sonic and poetic textures of isiXhosa, circling around the language of folds and the folding of language itself. Through the repetition of root sounds, phrases, and gestures, the episode becomes a kind of oral incantation—folding and unfolding the word songa until it becomes both action and atmosphere.Rather than explaining, this episode performs—letting the act of folding speak for itself. In this way, SONGA becomes a hinge between past and future, gesture and grammar, memory and method.A small fold. A quiet invocation.CLOSING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSNarrating VoicesMr Mangaliso JaftaAzola KrweqeMs Nobuhle JamesMrs Nokhaya JilingisaMama PhakaniZizo NtukusheVisual & Video ContributorsAzola KrweqeSibabalwe MakeleniCommunity ContributorsThe James Family – ooXabaMrs Kutazwa JamesMrs Nokugcina James (special thanks for the recording of umsebenzi kaMnu. Luphumlo James)Mrs LudidiMs Phumla JamesMs Nobuhle JamesWillowvale Makers Co-opKholiswa MagidiTheko Theo YinindwaPhiliswa MatutuNwabisa MahlaleshushuMiranda SiwlabeniYouth ParticipantsZintle BonakeleVuyokazi MnconoLethu JilingisiNokubonga HawuLisakhanya PoniYolande TskaneLiyabona NtshobodwanaBuyiswa Beauty NduweCommunity yakuGatyanaCebisa MagoqozaMzukisi NketshuThando MadwantsiThobile TsutsuSikelela ThobigunyaNeliswa BambintalaMiranda SihlanguAnd the broader community at largeSpecial thanks to:Azola KrweqeLukhanyo MuluseLocations ReferencedWillowvale Arts Center, kuGatyaneJames Family Home – Elukhanyisweni, eQumbu, eMdeniMr & Mrs James’ Residence – Highbury, UmtataJames Residence – Walmer Road Lodge, Beacon Bay, East LondonNgumla Family Home – eGcibala, TsomoMpintsha Family Home – Nkanga, WillowvaleBuffalo City MunicipalityProduction TeamExecutive Producer: Bongani TauCurator & Editor: Siviwe JamesContent Advisor: Sihle SogaulaGraphic Design: 2DOTS Space AgencyVideo & Sound Editing: Siviwe JamesText: Siviwe JamesXhosa Language Advisor: Ms Nobuhle JamesDigital Archiving SupportArt Meets AppInstitutional SupportEastern Cape Department of Sports, Arts and CultureUN/FOLDING_RE/FOLDING_FOLDED: Imiphindo kwaXhosa © 2023 Created and produced by Siviwe James (James-Laurie) With support from the African Fashion Research Institute (AFRI) and Creative Nestlings Foundation, under the New Narratives Programme (2023).Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International