Translating and interpreting South Africa’s cultures: art, song and dance in Mda’s selected novels
type: CreativeWork
description: This study explores the translation and interpretation of South African cultures through art, song, and dance in Zakes Mda's following novels: Ways of Dying (1995), She Plays with the Darkness (1995), The Heart of Redness (2000), and The Sculptors of Mapungubwe (2013). The study employs post-colonial theories and decolonial perspectives to discern how Mda deploys these artistic expressions to transcend their aesthetic value, acting as powerful symbols of resistance, unity, and healing. These narratives have been selected because they highlight Mda's skill in navigating the complexities of translating South African cultural realities into narrative form. By examining how Mda incorporates and reinterprets traditional South African art forms, music, and dance, this study reveals the complex dynamics of cultural expression and translation. The study argues that Mda navigates the tensions between cultural preservation and innovation, highlighting the ways in which art, song, and dance serve as powerful tools for storytelling, social commentary, and cultural critique. The selected novels foreground and epitomise a deeper understanding of the role of art, song and dance in shaping South African identity and experience.
abstract: This study explores the translation and interpretation of South African cultures through art, song, and dance in Zakes Mda's following novels: Ways of Dying (1995), She Plays with the Darkness (1995), The Heart of Redness (2000), and The Sculptors of Mapungubwe (2013). The study employs post-colonial theories and decolonial perspectives to discern how Mda deploys these artistic expressions to transcend their aesthetic value, acting as powerful symbols of resistance, unity, and healing. These narratives have been selected because they highlight Mda's skill in navigating the complexities of translating South African cultural realities into narrative form. By examining how Mda incorporates and reinterprets traditional South African art forms, music, and dance, this study reveals the complex dynamics of cultural expression and translation. The study argues that Mda navigates the tensions between cultural preservation and innovation, highlighting the ways in which art, song, and dance serve as powerful tools for storytelling, social commentary, and cultural critique. The selected novels foreground and epitomise a deeper understanding of the role of art, song and dance in shaping South African identity and experience.
author: Makhafola, Thabo
language: en
keywords: Africa art, Cultures, Dance, Interpreting, Identity, Mda, Song and South Africa, Translating, UCTD
date published: 2025-09-05
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:57:52Z
provider: University of Venda
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Venda