About “Echoes of Lawino” - The Play

Over half a century since the publication of “Song of Lawino” and “Song of Ocol” Africa has gone through fundamental political, economic, and social shifts. But many questions about African identity, history, heritage, and values remain complex themes. To date, Africa finds itself grappling with how to forge a sustainable path to the future that recognizes and appreciates its complex histories and foundations. Creating her future, grounded in strong cultures and complex histories is an uphill task she must climb. The play highlights the complex social and political contours Africans grapple with presented through the lenses of feminism, colonialism, post-colonialism, and pan-Africanism. The play also sets out to address the cultural loss that we (Africans) face due to generations of social, religious, and political indoctrination. How can we be authentic: that is to ask; how can we reconnect with values that have stagnated into ceremony or symbol or; how can we discard some aspects of Western modernity and start the process of being rooted in our authentic value systems? With this play, we intend to spark and join the chorus of voices daring to reimagine a more decolonized African people.  The play is brought to life by Okere City, a project reimagining traditional spaces and futures and expanding the spaces for constructive civic engagement in the deep and remote northern Ugandan village of Okere in Otuke District.

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