The Daily Reev

The way she just put them on, like they so naturally belonged with her skirt and tank top. Not because she was trying to make any statement but because they’re just simply part of who she is

It kinda healed parts of me I didn’t even know still needed healing 🥹

Honestly though, I wasn’t embarrassed of my culture growing up. I loved being South African Indian. I loved our food, our celebrations, our music, our traditions… I loved dressing up too and showing off my outfits

But I also grew up knowing there were different versions of me for different spaces..

My culture wasn’t something I hid exactly but it often stayed in its own little box. Home was one world, the temple, weddings .. and then school and friends were another. The lines were never really spoken@but somehow they existed.

Watching my daughter choose to wear jhumkas to school without a second thought made me realise she’s growing up in a beautifully different time. And maybe that’s partly our doing… this generation of parents learning, unlearning and healing as we go.

And it’s not because she’s more Indian than I was or because she’s prouder than I was. It’s because she doesn’t seem to feel the need to separate those parts of herself and I love that for her 😭

She can simply be a South African Indian girl living in London who loves her culture, wears her jhumkas to school, talks about how sad we all were when Bafana Bafana exited the World Cup and thinks absolutely nothing of it 😃

As someone now raising South African Indian daughters in the UK, that’s something I hope they always hold onto.

And I think that’s just what healing looks like sometimes..Not changing your own story but watching your children write a freer one for themselves ..

And with that.. schools out for Miss May .. just her Bharathanatyam practical exam to go this afternoon and we are free for seven weeks!!!

🇿🇦 A little piece of South Africa in the heart of London’s West End.

When we moved countries I realised you don’t just miss a place… you miss the sounds, the stories and that feeling of home.

So this experience by was really just food for the soul

Started the evening with INALA, which is a Grammy-nominated South African production bringing together Zulu music, dance and storytelling with a cast of incredible South African performers… the performances, the feelings it invoked and just the sheer talent.. made me so excited and proud… also being a KZN girl and knowing more Zulu than Afrikaans by default… the poetry of it was beautiful.. but whether you understand zulu or not.. I promise you you will feel every emotion of this show.. also got to see my girl 😍🥹 her voice is just phenomenal.. loved watching her in this role.. and yeah from the first clip you can see the audience is also involved 😆

INALA means “abundance of goodwill” in Zulu and features music co-created with the late Joseph Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who helped take South African harmonies to the world.

Also have to mention that as you enter the venue, the immersive art space celebrates South African landscapes and artists.. Each painting was created in situ across South Africa, from Durban Playhouse where INALA first took shape to Table Mountain and the Western Cape vineyards.

And then after the show we moved onto Sensory Notes a South African audiovisual wine experience that pairs incredible wines with the stories, sounds and the spirit behind them.

The cast also kept us entertained with Afrojazz while we enjoyed drinks from IGOLI, an exclusively South African fine-wine bar .. could the night get any more perfect.. 🥹

The show is also family friendly and it’s one I definitely want to bring the girls to watch ✨

They have tickets available for Inala as well as sensory notes and it starts around £35.. so definitely check it out

South African in London | London West End | things to do in London | South African culture | INALA musical | London theatre | South Africans abroad | London experiences