Thabo's LALELA Installation at Seed Archives Explores Oral History Through Sound
Thabo Mkwananzi, a musician, is set to unveil 'LALELA,' an engaging sound installation at Seed Archives in North London, scheduled for 2026. The term 'Lalela' translates to 'listen' in Ndebele. Central to the installation is a chair draped in white fabric, equipped with headphones, featuring a 25-minute audio experience derived from Marlon James' works, 'Black Leopard, Red Wolf' and 'Moon Witch, Spider King.' This marks the first residency at Seed Archives, which was established by Christian Cassiel. Thabo chose four titles from Seed Archives for his creative inspiration, including 'The Kalahari Bushmen Dance' and 'Ndebele.' He expresses a wish for greater translation of African authors' works into audiobooks. This piece is part of C&'s 'Inside The Library' series.
Key facts
- Thabo Mkwananzi created 'LALELA,' a sound installation at Seed Archives in North London.
- The installation includes a chair wrapped in white fabric inside a semi-transparent veil with headphones.
- The sound piece lasts 25 minutes and uses audiobook excerpts from Marlon James' novels.
- Seed Archives was founded by Christian Cassiel and celebrates African and Caribbean heritage.
- This is the first collaboration between Seed Archives and LALELA.
- Thabo selected four publications from Seed Archives for reflection.
- The publications include works by Jürgen Schadeberg, Robert Lyons, Chinua Achebe, and Margaret Courtney-Clarke.
- Thabo was drawn to images during his residency, using them as composition prompts.
Entities
Artists
- Thabo Mkwananzi
- Marlon James
- Jürgen Schadeberg
- George Hulme
- Robert Lyons
- Chinua Achebe
- Margaret Courtney-Clarke
- Christian Cassiel
- Bradford Keeney
- Marian Jensen
- Margaret Courtney Clarke
- Michael Stevenson
- Michael Graham-Stewart
- D'Angelo
- Snoop Dogg
- Dr. Dre
Institutions
- Seed Archives
- Contemporary And (C&)
- C& América Latina
- C& (Contemporary And)
Locations
- North London
- London
- United Kingdom
- Bulawayo
- Zimbabwe
- Kalahari
- Southern Africa
- East Africa
- South Africa
- Southern Ndebele
- Northern Ndebele