While obviously cheaply made, this South African film is fascinating in many ways, dramatizing the desire of a young prince of Zulu to create a swing and jazz band with fellow tribes members. Flashbacks to when he was a kid show traditions of his tribe complete with daily activities in his native village and how he played, which shows his desire for music. As he strives to create the band, you see the ladies of his tribe giggling at the oddity of what they're seeing (certainly strange compared to their traditional lives), and how the band comes together. The mix of their native language and English in the songs they sing is a unique element, and the viewer gets treated to some glorious music with plenty of singing and dancing, a definite mix of the traditions of their culture with the outside world.
The sets are rather impressive, and the energy overwhelming. Some of the staging in the musical numbers are pretty groundbreaking, and one number in particular reminds me of the Ann Miller number in "Small Town Girl" where all you see are hands and the musical instrument coming out of the floor. The musical number has the female singer performing on a large piano with the heads, hands and instruments of the musicians popping out of a large scrim. Another musical number has a supernatural tone that is quite spooky. In spite of the quality of the print, this is quite watchable, and thus I give it a higher rating for its uniqueness and originality, daring to be different while utilizing traditional musical style and design. A must for film historians, and a fabulous reflection of black culture at its finest. Definitely up there with "Cabin in the Sky" and "Stormy Weather", even at a fraction of the budget.
The sets are rather impressive, and the energy overwhelming. Some of the staging in the musical numbers are pretty groundbreaking, and one number in particular reminds me of the Ann Miller number in "Small Town Girl" where all you see are hands and the musical instrument coming out of the floor. The musical number has the female singer performing on a large piano with the heads, hands and instruments of the musicians popping out of a large scrim. Another musical number has a supernatural tone that is quite spooky. In spite of the quality of the print, this is quite watchable, and thus I give it a higher rating for its uniqueness and originality, daring to be different while utilizing traditional musical style and design. A must for film historians, and a fabulous reflection of black culture at its finest. Definitely up there with "Cabin in the Sky" and "Stormy Weather", even at a fraction of the budget.