Lively about AIDS

Rune Stensland in Fædrelandsvennen 18.02.2004

The lively Tumaini Group uses dance and music to act out feelings about AIDS

Kristiansand: 180 youngsters in a fully packed auditorium at Samsen stage yesterday witnessed a performance they will never forget. For 75 minutes they sat glued to their chairs while the troupe of 17 dancers, musicians and acrobats from Northern Tanzania showed them their tricks.The theme was in itself quite serious. The deadly disease AIDS, which every year kills tens of thousands of Africans, took the life of the father in the play. From being a vital and jovial daddy of three sons, he had to give in to the deadly plague of the continent early in the performance. The rest of the family was left wailing. But instead of submitting to sorrow and grief, the family members turn to a well-known medicine to cure depression: Music. Swinging drums created a solid wall of sound for an acrobatic show that took place on stage. Between the swaying movements the characters stopped to answer the questions of the small boys about AIDS. - If people who are HIV infected make love to others, those who are not yet infected, will also be sick. - Everybody can get ill from dirty needles. No medicine helps. The ones that get sick die. - AIDS is like a dangerous animal or enemy you have to fight. The last point resulted in acting out some swift scenes, where spears, arrows and bows were used symbolically to fight the fatal disease. With a unison -hai!- from the Tumani Group the show was over. During the exhilarating performance the focus had changed from a family tragedy to an optimistic crowd of people who wanted to use their knowledge in order not to be destroyed. That the youngsters enjoyed what they had seen was beyond doubt. The applause was long and overwhelming. Then the teenagers had to rush back to their own business, full of impressions – and hopefully a little wiser.