It was an electrifying 18 November 2024, when the Nganga Performing Arts troupe took centre stage at the Sherman Theatre of Sanctuary in Cardiff, United Kingdom. It was ‘Refugee Week’, and the Centre had organised a day of celebration for sanctuary seekers.
Among the activities lined up were crafts, choir renditions, and cultural performances. Then, the Nganga troupe took the stage. From drum beats to ‘fluty’ stories and musical steps, the cultural atmosphere became an intriguing web of alluring experiences.
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The highlight of the performance was the Dance Circle, which has become one of Nganga’s most unique signature moves. As the term implies, the Dance Circle promotes engagement, as it offers the audience, irrespective of ethnic or gender affiliations, the opportunity to experience the performance from an active-participant perspective.
The Nganga has come a long way from its shy beginnings, when it focused on bringing elements of the African culture to the diaspora. Now, the troupe promotes traditional performances of other group, bringing to bear its position as a haven for experiencing the customs of ethnic groups across Africa.
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Finding a niche well outside the shores of its birth heritage can be an uphill task for any Indigenous cultural performing group. However, the Nganga’s enduring effort to showcase a rich blend of tradition, inclusivity, and creativity is reflected even more excellently through its rhythmic renditions of delightfully soulful productions.
Nganga’s message
As the group has maintained, performance is not “for the audience” but rather “with the audience.” This becomes even more significant when one considers the meaning of ‘Nganga’, an Igbo word indicating ‘pride’.
The pride that the Nganga troupe represents doesn’t come from the context of setting itself far outside the reach of connecting with lived experiences; instead, it is reflected in the dignity with which each performance is brought to life.
Following the Nganga’s presentation trajectory over the past years, the group has set itself apart in its adaptation to diverse spaces. In their performances, they have effectively exerted cultural influence in a positive light, over people of varying cultures and traditions, through performance in spaces that have revolved around asylum seekers, persons with disabilities, research institutions, as well as even in unrestricted areas where the general public can benefit from the experiences they share through their performances.
The connection that reverberates across members of the group, which include Chinyere Chimodo Chuwkudi-Okeh, the storyteller, writer, and poet and multidisciplinary creative with an overflowing basket of creatively juicy expressions; Valentine Chigozie Oguejiofor, the dancer and drummer with magical hands; Sandra Ogochukwu Nwaizugbo, a choreographer and the female lead dancer with her captivating smile; Emmanuel Chinedu Chimodo, the drummer, dancer and flutist with the alluring notes, exudes a sense of the magical with their spellbinding dancing steps, as the performance reveals a distinct processing of different areas of creative expertise merging into a smooth musical flow that leaves every audience wanting more.
From the captivating smiles to the colourful costumes, the enthralling musical notes, spoken word dramatisations and the pulsating dance steps, the Nganga continues to hold the fort on etching a growing space on the path of history, in terms of contributing to keeping African cultural essences alive. With the Nganga, performing arts once again prove true to form in fostering inclusion, strengthening unity and promoting all-around wellness through cultural productions.
Dr Rita Okonoboh-Fagbayi, an art and culture critic, is a lecturer at the Department of English at the University of Ibadan.
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