Celebs speak on 'Shaka iLembe's' effect on representation and celebration of culture

Apart from the impeccable cinematography and incredible performances on Shaka iLembe, the highly-anticipated drama series celebrates culture and is an authentic showcase of storytelling.

The drama series, set in the late 1700s and 1800s, tells the story of iconic African king Shaka Zulu, documenting his early childhood (played by newcomer actor Ntando Zondi) through to adulthood (played by Lemogang Tsipa).

Nomzamo, who plays Queen Nandi, the revered mother of Shaka, said her character tells a story of women in Zulu history that not many know about.

“I want to use my voice stand for something greater than myself. I also want to change the discourse of who we are as young women and the patriarchy we've had to push through. So it's interesting how this full circle moment is. It's something I already live and I am able to do now through my art form. I will always be grateful to be chosen to play Nandi,” she told TshisaLIVE.

Buhle Bendalo, who has a soundtrack titled iLembe in the series, shared similar sentiments.

“Now we understand the impact and the driving force behind Shaka, the matriarch force behind Shaka, that's why I love the story.”

Ringo Madlingozi said he was excited to see black people at the forefront of telling their own stories.

“The showcase of Shaka iLembe takes us back to how everything happened. I love the authenticity that is brought forth because it's a story told by us. I think it's going to make us go deeper and heal the wounds and learn what actually happened. What I love about it is because it takes us back,” he said.

Rapper Blxckie spoke of the importance of creating authentic content and representation.

“A lot of young people lose their way and don't tap into their cultures, so it's dope to see one of the cultures, such as Zulu, represented and depicted in such a way. For me, the space of rap has a lot of people trying to do it, so adding my own flavour and culture is something I intentionally did and it worked early on.”

Mzansi's A-listers were spotted at the premiere of Shaka iLembe in Fourways, Johannesburg, recently.

Donning traditional clothing, singing praise songs and enjoying Zulu cuisine, the showcase of the series was one for the books. 

Take a look at the celebrities spotted at the event below:

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.