Episode 1: Uhambo

Episode 1 of the Imiphindo kwaXhosa podcast, hosted by Siviwe James, titled "Episode 1: Uhambo " was published on September 8, 2023 and runs 5 minutes.

September 8, 2023 ·5m · Imiphindo kwaXhosa

Summary

UN/FOLDING_RE/FOLDING_FOLDED: Imiphindo kwaXhosaWhat do we carry when we move through rites of passage? What dresses us, not only in fabric, but in responsibility, presence, and belonging?In Uhambo, Siviwe James begins her journey into imiphindo—the folds of Xhosa dress, memory, and becoming. This first episode listens closely to the work of clothing in ceremonial life: how garments signal shifts in status, how the body becomes a site of transition, and how wearers are re-made through isinxibo. These are not merely personal changes, but communal and spiritual ones—embodied through materials, colours, sounds, and inherited practices.What does it mean to be dressed by others? To be folded into a lineage?We start at home—with the voices of mothers, elders, makers, and wearers. The uhambo here is not only one of travel, but of return.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

Episode Description