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It's right-royal Ndebele art
31/05/2002 13:21 - (SA)
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| COLOUR IT NDEBELE: These three women from South Africa - Isa Kabini, Betty Masambo and Lea Msizo - are decorating a float with colourful tribal designs for Queen Elizabeth's golden jubilee procession through London on Tuesday. (Igna Schneider, Die Burger) |
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Igna Schneider, Die Burger
London - Three Ndebele women have been specially flown to England to decorate floats for a spectacular procession through the British capital - the highlight of Queen Elizabeth's jubilee celebrations.
The geometric art of Isa Kabini, Betty Masambo and Lea Msizo will form part of the Commonwealth procession on Tuesday of 4 000 people depicting the cultures of 54 countries. It is one of six processions from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral, in which 20 000 people will take part.
The processions are the grand finalé of the jubilee celebrations that kick off with a classical music concert at Buckingham Palace on Saturday. The celebrations will last through a four-day long weekend. About 200 million people worldwide are expected to follow the celebrations and thousands of visitors are expected here.
The three Ndebele women, in their fifties, are painting up a storm in an East End studio to complete the floats.
The organisers say they invited the women because Ndebele art is world-famous and unique. Some of the murals, painted with brushes of chicken feathers, depict a traditional rural village. The others depict the London Eye and Battersea power station, which the women saw on a tour through London.
"We feel very proud to exhibit our work here," said Kabini, who has exhibited also in New Zealand and Paris.
Taking home about R45 000
This is only the second time Masambo and Msizo have left South Africa and it is their first visit to England.
"It rains very much, but we are taking home money for our children," said Masambo, who hails from Middelburg. The two women have 13 children between them. They will take home R45 000 between the three of them at the end of the two weeks.
The symbolical highlight of the procession will be a 10m-high rainbow with 4 000 hand-written wishes for the future from South African and other Commonwealth pupils.
The other five processions include a motorbike train, led by a Hell's Angel named Snob, the Notting Hill carnival and a 5 000-strong gospel choir.
A massive tent is being erected in the gardens at Buckingham Palace for Saturday's classical music concert, at which Kiri te Kanawa, among others, will perform.
Ozzy Osborne, the heavy metal Black Sabbath singer who once bit off the head of a bat on stage, will perform at the palace on Monday evening. Other stars include Cliff Richards, Elton John and Eric Clapton.
The weekend ends on Tuesday afternoon after the procession with a fly-past by 27 Royal Air Force aircraft, the Red Arrows aerobatic team and the Concorde.
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