History Meets Love

I resume my blogging activities, after a long unplanned furlough induced by tragic events in 2017. “Legends: Kings and Kingdoms”, a musical produced and directed by Gbenga Yusuf and Ayodeji Ajayi, brought me so much joy and dragged me to my keyboard to do a review.

“Legends: Kings and Kingdoms” brings history into a contemporary world, as the priestess of Modaland attempts to conquer the evil called the Shadow in collaboration with some legends of Africa. It celebrates the beauty of the arts in the costumes of the actors, the music drawn from the different cultures represented on stage, and the kinetic fluidity in the dances. The stage is minimalist though, and the changes of the settings are represented by pictures on the screen. The production also makes good use of lighting to transition from one scene to another, especially as the stage is a right angle, and sometimes, characters are positioned on both sides of the stage and swift transition is required for the continuity of the story.

What is a musical without great music? The audience can appreciate the music and the lyrics to the unfamiliar songs the actors in some of their dialogues and is also able to sing along and succumb to the emotions some of the songs by Asa and Simi evoke. But this production is driven more by the unpredictability of the story. The frailty of the legends is revealed early in the story, and this causes one to question their capability for the mission they set out to accomplish.

The production also explores a broad spectrum of dominant issues, such as the battle for gender supremacy which is depicted in the fight between Yaa Asantewa and Shaka, the transience of memory, ethnic divisions, the illusions of superiority, and the importance of diversity. And we are reminded that while we bicker, the enemy regroups and could conquer us all regardless of our sex, ethnicity or class. But we can bring our distinctive qualities together to defeat the enemy that is stronger than any individual might.

If you are expecting an education on the legends though, this musical only piques your interest. You must consult other resources to know why Yaa Asantewa is frightened by the camera, what is behind the names Shaka evokes and why he calls himself the rejected son of Nandi, why Queen Amina is called the murderer, why Sango fears his own anger, or what Nefertiti is doing with a sun disc.

Although the musical is 2 hours long, there is no boring moment, with the apt infusion of humour and sarcasm in every scene, from the interaction between Zina the priestess and her lover, Pete or Ahh, to the dialogues between the legends, but the peak of humour is the unexpected contest between the Queen Amina’s dance, representing the past, the police officers’ contemporary dance. But it is no low comedy, as the production also forces one to think about the nature of evil and our response or complicity. Modaland represents our society, and the battle is no longer between kings, queens, warlords, and kingdoms. We need to draw inspiration and lessons from history, but we cannot live in the shadows of our past forever and mourn for what is lost. The present battle is for the survival of the human race, the preservation of our humanity, a battle that can only be won by love, which the legends describe as “a sharp sword which does not divide but unites, does not kill but heals.”