Africa Day: Celebrating music and family at the UCT Irma Stern Museum

On 25 May the University of Cape Town (UCT) Irma Stern Museum invited the families of the Philip Kgosana Residence to join the museum in a celebration of music and belonging. Over a light lunch jazz singer and UCT master’s student Maria Gakenye Kimotho and participants chatted, painted, drew, and made music.

In a relaxed atmosphere of creativity, Kimotho spoke about her journey, reminiscing on her Kenyan homeland, her path to South Africa, and how she came to appreciate jazz – not only as a complex form of music but also a crucial way of storytelling.

She is especially fascinated by the African roots of jazz – which led to a rich discussion on the symbolism and meaning of Africa Day. In the words of one of the participants, “Africa Day is a pause; a moment to reflect on who we are and our identity within a continent, a nation and a family.”

Kimotho sang Miriam Makeba’s famous song “Malaika”, which means “angel” in KiSwahili. She concluded the celebrations by singing her own song, titled “Daima”, which is a song about loss and longing, in honour of her late father.

The event was hosted at the Irma Stern Museum in collaboration with Sino Madosi and artists Lulama Masimini and Luthando Mthi.were honourary guests.