Scenes from Nandi The Musical play which has been turned into a book. LEGENDARY playwright and director, Edmund Mhlongo, has turned his internationally acclaimed musical Nandi The Musical into a book.
The goal is to help people learn more about the life of King Shaka’s mother, Queen Nandi Mhlongo.
The musical about Queen Nandi is an eye-opener on the “cultural oppression of women”, and has been touring the best theatres in Mzansi since its launch in 2018.
In 2020, it was scheduled to be performed in New Orleans, New York and in Chicago in the USA, but was cancelled due to lockdowns and it’s now scheduled to be performed again in July 2024.
Mhlongo, the founder of KwaMashu Community Advancement Projects (K-CAP), which has produced many TV stars, told Daily Sun that the main goal is to teach people about Queen Nandi, as many people only know her as the mother of King Shaka.
“After we performed the musical in many top theatres in Mzansi, many people asked me to write a book about it because others do not go to the theatre.
“I agreed because the musical has a rich history, and I will also make the book available digitally so people can read it wherever they are,” he said.
Mhlongo said he wanted people to know about Queen Nandi because he spent three years researching for authentic information before starting the musical.
“It was important for me to shed more light on her life as the mother of the founder of the Zulu nation, King Shaka, because in many stories her life is only mentioned in passing.
“She was more than just King Shaka’s mother. She opened women’s eyes against cultural oppression,” he said.
Mhlongo said in a book before the musical, he added new information about the Elangeni nation relocated from Sudan to come to Southern Africa.
Nandi, who was known as the Princess of Elangeni (Mhlongo) before she gave birth to Shaka, is the most respected queen in the Zulu nation and other nations.
Mhlongo said that Nandi The Musical will tour Mzansi again in January before being performed overseas in July. The book will be officially launched during the Durban International Book Fair from 9 to 13 August
