Friday, March 16, 2007
16 March 1996 - An African Wedding
It’s a stunning Cape Town Friday, with a twist, as Lenny and I are celebrating our second 11th wedding anniversary today (I haven’t seen her as she’s at the hair-dresser).Its our second, as we were married legally in one of those terribly romantic Home Affairs marriages first on 31 October 1995, and then again the following year, except that this one was our spiritual union.
Neither of us are religious, and as Lenny had just moved to SA from the Netherlands, we wanted some kind of initiation into her new culture, and so we decided to have a traditional African wedding with elements from both Xhosa and Zulu cultures.
It was a stunning evening ceremony held at the old Scout house on top of Signal Hill; the sun setting over a mist covered Sea Point. We had Xhosa dancers, singers, Sangoma’s, Zulu dancers, who took us through a whirlwind of celebration.The two groups, her ‘family’ and mine, dancing against each other, singing against each other, until our union, when everyone then joined together to celebrate as one family. And then we sat and drank Umqombothi to seal the marriage and thank of ancestors.
It was memorable day, and 11 years later it's wonderful to be able to look at my lovely Lenny, and know, that we’ve only just started!
Have a great day folks – on us!
Labels: African, Jazzart Dance Theatre, music, wedding
