Albert “Ibokwe” Khoza is living proof that hard work pays, in euros .
Khoza, 4th year BADA, jets off to Paris to perform his piece, Influences of a Closet Chant, at the 67th La Ferme du Buisson Festival in September.
The festival showcases work by both French and international artists in various genres such as music, theatre and dance.
“My piece was for an exam I had last August, but to me it was not just an exam, it was my story and I knew I had to create a masterpiece,” he said.
Khoza told Wits Vuvuzela he was approached by well-known dancer and choreographer Robyn Orlin after his performance in 2012.
“About two weeks after Robyn saw my performance she went to France and told the people back there about how great my performance was,” he said.
Khoza was contacted by Damian Valliete, the organiser of the La Ferme du Buisson Festival, in November.
“Initially I thought it was a joke when Damian called to ask if I wanted to be part of the festival. It felt so surreal, I was so overjoyed and the first thing I did was pray to God and my ancestors and later got a big bottle of wine to celebrate,” Khoza said.
Influences of a Closet Chant is an invitation into the closet of a gay man and what happens behind it.
The theatrical piece was directed and produced by Khoza, motivated by various television programmes and theatre plays. “I felt misrepresented as a young gay man. Gays and lesbians were not and are still not depicted in a manner I found to be true and acceptable,” he said.
“People need to understand that we are human beings before anything else, and people don’t need to be categorised,” he said. “People also need to realise that there is no cure for homosexuals.”
