Eswatini

There’s a country called Eswatini? Will they forgive us if we forget they changed their name and call them Swaziland? Will I be able to find representative works from their native, colonial, and mixed culture groups? Yes, to all three questions and I am ready to immerse myself in a country where I have little pre-knowledge.

Native Works

To represent native cultures, I found a powerful documentary and a traditional dance. The documentary Liyana shows a group of orphans sharing their experiences and ideas to create a story of a young woman on a quest. The orphans are charismatic story tellers and the artwork to illustrate their story is beautiful. I picked up the DVD from the Los Angeles County Library and it is also available for $3.99 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDzQlk9QYHo

The public broadcasting network of Eswatini makes the Umhlanga Reed Dance available in a three hour film that gives a variety of dances. Sensitivity alert: the authentic costume will show bare breasted women. You can see this traditional dance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc0sLHO8UjY

Colonial Past

Adventures in Swaziland: The Story of a South African Boer by Owen Rowe O'Neil was first published in 1921 and will represent the time and culture with wild stories and one-sided perspective. It can be found at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38447

I more highly recommend Wah-Wah, a movie based on the childhood of Richard E. Grant showing his family self-destructing as the British lose power over Swaziland. I borrowed it from the Los Angeles County Library. It is also on Kanopy and at https://pluto.tv/on-demand/movies/wah-wah-1-1

Mixed Experience

My favorite book from Eswatini is When the Ground is Hard, a young adult novel by Malla Nunn. The story is based on the author’s mother and her friend, both mixed race girls who face prejudice and develop strength through their friendship and inspiration from (oddly enough because I discussed this book in my Dominica blog) Jane Eyre. The author also films documentaries and writes mysteries. I read When the Ground is Hard on Overdrive from San Bernardino County Library.

An ensemble of musicians from Eswatini recorded Asibemunye, which means “let’s be one” to address the COVID pandemic. These artists include Velemseni, Mandisa, Msizi, Nothando Hlophe, Bholoja, Popzin, Msimisi, King Terry, Nomvumelwano, Gcina Masuku, Bheki Khanyile, Phathwakahle, LK Baba, King Terry, Mozaik, Liah Lo, Symphony, Floewe, and others. The video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbowmJPbMoE

I can’t visit a country without trying their food! Here are some recipes: http://www.healthy-life.narod.ru/wor_ek203.htm

More beauty from Eswatini (labeled as Swaziland in The Crazy Tourist) and options for a great trip can be seen at https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-swaziland/

When this pandemic is over, you might want to plan travel to Eswatini using your local travel advisor. Shout out to my favorite travel advisor, Kaitlin Darnell at Laura's Travel in Redlands. May the travel industry survive and thrive - may we all survive, thrive, recognize our mutual humanity, learn to deal with our conflicts, and allow peace and health to flourish in Eswatini and throughout the world.

Photo credit: Ashim D’Silva https://unsplash.com/photos/3DJTD60cOds