Zuko Komisa

In conversation with Gcina Mhlophe live from Minneapolis at the Black Storytellers Festival.
Point of View with Phemelo Motene renowned South African Author, playwright, and performer Gcina Mhlophe about her career and life. Mhlophe is a versatile and multi-talented artist who has left an indelible mark on the literary and performance arts in the country and beyond.
Listen to the full conversation here:
Gcina Mhlophe has been telling South African stories for years and can speak about five languages (Zulu, Xhosa, English, Afrikaans, and Sotho).
Gcina worked as a journalist for Press Trust, Africa Service as a part-time news reader, and between 1982 and 1983, she contributed to the Learn and Teach magazine. She spoke about her experience in the US, her journey, and her life as a storyteller.
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On why she tells stories
“I tell stories in order to wake up stories in other people, and every time I do that it is mission accomplished.”
“It means I am preserving the heritage of my people, and that our intangible heritage is alive, it also means when you do something you love with passion that you will do at any time or any space or venues… it brings me immasurable joy.” said Gcina Mhlophe,
On following your calling
“If I was following my calling for applause, I would have stopped a long time ago… I am grateful that I still get really good work, I can also touch many lives. Storytelling is not only for young people, my audiences vary from 3 to 93 years old. I go to the most prestigious Universities, I go to some amazing schools, I go to some of the poorest schools.” said Gcina Mhlophe,
On grooming the next generation of storytellers
“One of the most amazing things I like is the young storytellers I work with, I see how passionate they are becoming. I hadn’t done a storyteller workshop for a few years now and started a year ago. When they come to the workshop they are smiling, they sing, they are bouncing, and I can’t wait to hear them calling me and telling me that they have been called to go tell a story at such and such a place.” said Gcina Mhlophe
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