South African theatrical dance group Flamenkhoi lived up to its billing with a flawless performance at the launch of its music album, Dancing in the Dust, at Reps Theatre in Harare on Saturday.
Dancing in the Dust is a culturally-blended Spanish flamenco dance sequence with African Soul, which was presented in the form of dance and songs like Kuele, Reunion, Feugo, Moro, Zambo, Lefatsi, Bonwa, Ancestral Blues, Aire, Andale, Pula, Oyeele, Agua and Kholoi in four well-knitted scenes: Fire, Earth, Air and Water.
Lourdes Sangroniz, Spanish ambassador to Zimbabwe, in her introduction of the South African dance group Flamenkhoi at Reps Theatre in Harare, highlighted the powerful cultural fusion embodied in the performance of the theatrical Dancing in the Dust.
Sangroniz spoke about the deep, often overlooked connections between Africa and Spain, especially South Africa, and how the performance will showcase a unique blend of the two continents’ artistic traditions in dance, and song.
In spite of the geographical and cultural distances, she emphasised the shared roots that unite them, making the performance not only a celebration of art but also of common heritage. The diplomat praised the group's innovation, particularly in its aesthetic and visual presentation and expressed pride in hosting such an event on the eve of Spain’s National Day.
The ambassador called it a heartfelt contribution to her nation's celebration, shared with both African audiences and Spanish-speaking companions, concluding with gratitude and eager anticipation for the extraordinary show ahead.
“And this fusion is particularly this extraordinary performance I'm going to show you tonight. Together with that, and not least, they are also showing a certain degree of innovation, even in the attire, the show itself, from an aesthetic and visual point of view.
“And for all those reasons, I am delighted to be here and I'm sure we are in for an extraordinary event. I hope you will enjoy it and the embassy of Spain takes pride in doing this exercise on this particular date, because tomorrow is our national day. And everyone in our country will be celebrating, and this is our contribution to honour our nation, and to do it in the company of people from this continent, and also from many compatriots and Spanish-speaking fellows who are accompanying us tonight. So thank you very much from the bottom of my heart and go ahead with the show.
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In a conversation with NewsDay Life & Style, the Flamenkhoi cast featuring dancers Rosana Maya, Isaac “Pinky” Xu Ramagole, Komani Hara, Cari Juane Wessels and Leela-Lind Devar, along with musicians Micah Myles and Lebogang Lechela, and vocalist Nobuhle Ngcobo (Pretty N) shared the origins and essence of their unique artistic fusion. Co-founded by Pinky, Maya and others, the project blends flamenco with African traditional rhythms, dance and song, reflecting themes of unity, nature, and shared cultural roots.
Their debut album, Dancing in the Dust, available on all streaming platforms, features original tracks that evoke elemental forces like fire (fuego), wind (aire), and water (agua), using influences ranging from Indian to Khoisan traditions. Though each member has a career, they pursue this collective vision out of passion, aiming to break cultural barriers and celebrate global connection.
Maya, who spoke on behalf of the group, said as they embarked on their world tour, they promised audiences an emotionally rich, visually powerful and deeply soulful performance full of passion, chemistry and raw artistry.
