Mama Africa

Jocular acrobatic acts descend on Dar es Salaam. Hosted in a conspicuous tent in the Peninsula, the circus brings back memories of the elaborate Chinese circus post 40 years. Only this time, all the acts are African. 

Directed by Zimbabwean Winston Ruddle and Mongolian  Tsende Erdeneshw, Mama Africa delivers a delightful extravaganza. 

Winston was inspired by the Tanzanian Boys, an acrobatic team in the 1980's who visited Zimbabwe during the time of it's unique street breakdance obsession. Later teamed with contorsionist Tsende in 2001 after performing with his own crew in South Africa, Botswana, Australia and Germany, the duo turned to Africa in search for virtuosic circus acts for European gazers. Training acrobatics at their Hakuna Matata Acrobatics school in Kinondoni, Tanzania, Winston and Tsende gathered a motley group of acts for Europe's Africa! Africa!, Germany's Mother Africa and their own Mama Africa circus variety shows. 

Mama Africa's dance soundtrack, the late 20th century costumes of neon spandex, and the performers' perma-grins fuse to purvey a peculiarly attractive sentiment.