Book Review: Wayfarers' Hymns by Zakes Mda
Infused with rhythm and melody, Zakes Mda's new novel invites you to travel from Lesotho's Mountain Kingdom to the City of Gold through the history of famo.
Famo music was born in the drinking dens of migrant mineworkers in Lesotho, where the men would sing to unwind after work, accompanied by the accordion, a drum and sometimes a bass.
Meet the boy-child Kheleke, a wandering musician, and his surprising sister Moliehi. Then sing with pleasure at being reunited with Toloki, the professional mourner from Ways of Dying, and his beloved Noria.
Passionate and ambitious, boy-child is a weaver of songs, and his own story is intertwined with the incredible yet true social history of the music: the Time of the Concertina and the Accordion, the wars of the famo gangs, and the battles for control of illegal mines.
The end is always a journey - and what a journey this is!
About the Author:
Zakes Mda is the author of the novels The Zulus of New York, Ways of Dying and The Heart of Redness, among many others. Born in the Eastern Cape, he spent his early childhood in Soweto and finished his school education in Lesotho. He is a prolific author of novels, plays, poems and articles for academic journals and newspapers, whose writing has been translated into twenty languages. His creative work also includes painting, and theatre and film productions. Mda is a recipient of South Africa's Order of Ikhamanga in Silver. In 2017, his novel Little Sums won the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize. He is based in Athens, Ohio, where he spends his time writing and painting.
Quotes on the book:
"Mda is a master storyteller and this exuberant, slyly humourous and profoundly empathetic tale of ambitious and warring musicians, and the dilemmas that arise from satisfying the creative urge, draws together his skills in an unforgettable and wildly entertaining way."
David Shriver
"This book reads like a song."
Annicia Manyaapelo
