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Nr 37- 2. årgang mai 2010

POLANA CHRONICLES
Cultural Extras: Sensational experiences in the tropics:

Everything is possible in Mozambique

Nearly 15,000 people will have ex-
perienced Barricades Breaking when
the project ends at this year’s festival
Maxaquene B on Saturday 8 May. Then
the performers will have travelled nearly
1500 km on roads of very variable qual-
ity. Four provinces and ten schools have
been visited along the way and a lot of
barricades are, if not broken, then at
least pushed a little.

left Inhambane. when we realized how good the performance

actually was. We managed to visit another
The Norwegian participants from Fredrikstad school in Inhambane before we crossed the
Inhambane
and Sarpsborg with reinforcement from Ne-
Three days of practice and coordination at the sound heading for Maxixe located beside
sodden, traveled with the Mozambican group
Club de Ferraviao in Inhambane, the time be-
Xindiro to Inhambane, about 500 km north of
fore the show premiered at Escola Secundaria
Maputo.
Eduardo Mondlane in Inhambane. I guess
Inhambane is one of the most popular places
for backpackers and beach tourism in South
Africa. Tofu and Barra which is close offers
spectacular diving adventures and fantastic
sandy beaches with surfing waves. It was
fortunately time for a trip to Tofo before we
 INHAMBANE

the main road

between Maputo
and Beira.

May Day
The May Day is holiday in Mozambique as
in Norway, and we were a bit tense at the
reception. We had not needed to be. First
stop was a small school in Morrumbene,
north of Maxixe. It’s hard to dance in the
sand, but we were aware of that. We got to
experience a fabulous atmosphere and many
satisfied spectators. Some were so impressed
that they came to watch at the next school
performance that was in Cambine, a society
a little off the beaten track, where many of

today’s Mozambican leaders have received
their basic education. The school is situated
in relation to a mission built by the Method-
ists in the 1920s. Not far from the main road,
but still far enough that we got a sense of
difference between city and countryside in
the country. This difference is probably larger
in Mozambique than in many other African
countries. One notices it on the clothes, the
footwear and the fact that many people do
not speak Portuguese as well as in the cities.
Massinga
The School in Massinga that was visited 2
May was completely new and structurally of
a very high standard. Breaking Barricades
appeared in concrete floored sporting fields
the size of a handball court. High metal roofs

but no walls give very special acoustic condi- poke the most zealous in their heads so that
tions. Fortunately, the weather in this part
of the world of a different nature than our
Norwegian domestic varieties. Most of the
time we experienced sun from a blue sky.
Every cloud was however welcomed. Any-
way, it was hot, and the logistics around the
drinking water for the artists were given high
priority. Empty bottles were popular among
the younger pupils, which sometimes led
to fighting and tears. Mozambican children
behaves just as their Norwegian counter-
parts. Before the show in Massinga was time
money jackpotting other beach trip. A heavy
lunch before the show was poorly timed in
and out that it required more than normal of
efforts to keep the pressure in the show.
Tropic of Capricorn
Massinga is located north of 23.26 degrees
south, or the tropic of Capricorn. This is
where the sun is when not at home, at least
the middle of winter. The line is marked with Here the scene was set in a slight, sandy
a sign along the road. We saw it and stopped. slope. The school has 6000 students and half
It is in a sense a milestone, although it is not of them were present. It was such a pressure
a round number near there.
Monday, May 3, we started the day at a
school in Maxixe within walking distance.
Sunny, warmth and a base of sand, partly
at an angle, made dancing difficult, but the
show was popular. So popular that one of
the teachers constantly had to use a twig and
the smallest could be able to sit and watch the
show without the danger of being trampled
down by the bigger kids who pressed behind.
But it went well, and curious children are not
the biggest threat to meet when you are on
tour.
Homoine
Monday afternoon we went to Homoine,
about 30 km inland from the city. Homoine is
a fascinating place. A city the size of Fre-
drikstad with learning school a huge church
and a Jesuit mission. The most fascinating
for us Norwegians is the way in there. It was
asphalt at both ends, but the pavement is of
Mozambiquan birthday
Theodor had his birthday.The Mozam-
such poor quality with so much holes that all
biquns apparently celebrates such events by
the running in the sand beside the road. Our
excellent drivers Ben and Alfonso maneu-
emptying their glasses in the head of happy
celebrated person. Theodore did not know, of
vered buses and trucks throughout the sand
course, and he was more than a little sur-
as if they had not done nothing.
prised when the solid volumes of juice, beer,
soda, wine and water changed his hairstyle
beyond imagination. It was perhaps the rea-
son that he later had Maria cut his hair.
around the stage that Rufus had to stop the
show for several minutes to relieve pressure. Xai-Xai
It was a nice experience after all. There was We had to get up at five in the morning the
a huge push by autograph hunters after which next day to travel south to XaiXai. Lots of
it really has been all the way to a varying sleepwalkers on the bus, and lots of fresher
degree. faces appearing out of the bus in Xai-Xai
250 kilometres and five hours later. The road
This was the last day of Maxixe, and seven between Xai-Xai and Inhambane is so bad in
performances had been conducted. But the parts that it make the road between Råde and
pressure demanded its toll, and the first Fredrikstad appear as the landing strip on He-
reports of sickness and minor injuries started atrow. It takes five hours if you want to keep
to come. This gang is flexible, sometimes all your luggage and both kidneys for later.
adjustments to the show will add new quali- It was a huge impact on the Escola Secun-
ties, and all the spectators have a great show. daria Joaquim Chissano in Xai-Xai. A lot
Every time. of people, good atmosphere and fine per-
formances. Rumor had gone ahead of us to
the city. Nevertheless, the responsible at the
school were surprised and extremely happy.
They had not expected such quality and
such a pace in a show that only lasts for 45
minutes.
Back in Maputo, we called an early night and
late morning.
The school of Malhazine is new, the power
was stable and the light was great. The at-
mosphere was good, and our amazing artists
delivered the goods.

Marraquene
Thursday we were Marraquene 30 km north
of Maputo. Once again out of the city. The
scene was great between the trees. The
light came from behind the atmosphere was
good, the crowd was plenty and very happy.

They sat and stood in the sand or in the trees

around the stage. And they would hardly
leave. At least not until they had received
their autographs. And then it was suddenly
almost over. Now it’s just one show left. It
is on Saturday in the town where Xindiro is
located, Maxaquene.
No wonder we rejoice?