Masks are being cast in Windhoek's city centre and the stage is amid a reimagination in the German capital as 'Chief Hijangua' announces its upcoming revival in Berlin.
Having premiered to acclaim at the National Theatre of Namibia in Windhoek in September last year, an update of the Namibian-German opera will open at Berlin's Haus des Rundfunks on 15 September.
Telling the tragic tale of a heartbroken Ovaherero prince who leaves his tribe and survives a literal and metaphorical wilderness before making a temporary home of a German settlement, the opera in four acts is written and composed by Namibian conductor Eslon Hindundu and directed by German theatremaker Kim Mira Meyer, with librettist Nikolaus Frei.
The opera, which is performed in Otjiherero and German and features a Namibian, German and South African cast, will be staged in Berlin in cooperation with Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Siemens Arts Programme, with the support of Momentbühne, the Berlin Senate Chancellery and the Berlin Lottery Foundation.
A children's version of Namibia's first opera will also be performed at Berlin's Humboldt Forum.
As Namibia and Germany continue to grapple with the facts and effects of Germany's colonial era, including the Herero and Nama genocide of 1904 to 1908, 'Chief Hijangua' is the product of dialogue and international collaboration.
"What is so amazing to me is how two nations came together with their differences and found a remarkable way of working together at a high level," Hindundu says. "There has been an exchange of cultures, and we have learnt a lot about our history.
"With this opera, many are educated and exposed to our history, Namibian folk tunes, Namibian rhythm and fairytales, hence preserving the important Namibian elements and fairytales for the current and next generation."
Though the essence of the original staging remains, the Berlin premiere of 'Chief Hijangua' premiere in Berlin will be considerably enhanced.
Elements, including the adaptation of the Namibian landscape, puppetry, costume and stage design, will be reconceptualised.
The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra will heighten the opera's musicality as 'Chief Hijangua' debuts a new lead in Namibian opera singer Janice van Rooy.
The production will also extend its live quote of Isabel Katjavivi's 'They Tried to Bury Us', which will feature over 400 masks connoting unacknowledged victims of the genocide.
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"Eslon has found a great way in between classical music, combining it with Namibian rhythms and Namibian folk songs," says Meyer.
"The idea is not to perform a European opera in Africa, but to develop a completely new form of opera together with a creative team from Namibia and Germany. Eslon Hindundu himself will conduct the orchestra in Berlin," says Meyer.
"I composed 'Chief Hijangua' to show that anything is possible, to contribute to developing Namibian classical music, and to show to the Namibian nation you can have a career in classical music," says Hindundu of the blessing of last year's Namibian premiere.
"Just yesterday I was dreaming of performing on an international stage in the streets of Katutura, and now I get to do it. It's truly a blessing from God. This opportunity inspires me to work even harder and to pursue all my dreams. It gives me fuel to continue."
A thrilling and historic feat for Hindundu and Namibia at large, 'Chief Hijangua' is on its way to Berlin with passion, purpose and a story worth singing about.
