The art of poetry and storytelling is a timeless and powerful craft that weaves together words, emotions, and imagination to paint vivid tapestries of the human experience. Through carefully chosen language, rhythm, and imagery, poets and storytellers transport us to different worlds, inviting us to see, feel, and understand life from new perspectives. Their words are a bridge between the ordinary and the extraordinary, evoking deep emotions, inspiring contemplation, and leaving a lasting impression on our hearts and minds. No one knows this better than sisters Mfumo and Fumane – known as the duo Yamoria.
Yamoria, a Johannesburg-based spoken word duo formed by South African poets, writers, presenters, authors, and podcast hosts Mfumo and Fumane, brings a multifaceted approach to their creative endeavours. Mfumo focuses on reshaping societal perceptions of black women, while Fumane draws inspiration from the strength within the human form. Their journey in the arts has led to appearances in voiceovers, television advertisements, and significant collaborations with brands like Converse and Standard Bank. Notable achievements include their lead role in Converse’s ‘Our Roots’ international campaign in 2020 and the creation of their book “Colour Me Melanin,” celebrating African cultures and Black Girl Magic. Beyond literature, Yamoria’s spoken word works have been published in prestigious African anthologies.
I met the talented pair properly at the Converse Women’s Day celebration in August this year (I’ve known Mfumo for quite some time by then) and I was curious about the work that they do with their poetry.
We’d love to know who you are. Who are you and what do you do. Also take us back to your childhood and upbringing. How was it and what can you remember about it that made you fall in love with Poetry together?
[YAMORIA]: We are Mfumo and Fumane Ntlhabane, a spoken word duo from Johannesburg South Africa that is wildly passionate about redesigning the sculpture of a black woman in society. In a nutshell, we are writers, poets, performers, authors, presenters, and podcast hosts.
We have always had a passion for literature and the art of writing however we had never considered it as a career path growing up. We were raised by our mother and father, lived with an overprotective older brother, and of course, we had each other 🙂 We grew up understanding the importance of education. Our parents drilled into us that education was the first step to a successful future. That being said we read a whole lot as children and spent a significant amount of time at the local library down the road. However, it wasn’t until our first year in college that we discovered that poetry and writing were more than just a hobby for us. A random trip to the Joburg Theatre one Saturday afternoon changed the game for us. While enjoying a show of poetry games that some local poets had on at the theatre, we were invited to come and audition our work for a panel of judges for the opportunity to join a one-year poetry program with The Current State of Poetry. After much debate we decided to give it a shot and the rest is history.
What is the story behind the name Yamoria? Touch on it’s meaning and what it signifies for you as a duo.
[YAMORIA]: Yamoria is a character that features in the folktales of the Dene Tribe. The first thing that caught our attention is that Yamoria is a twin. (PS: we are too). Upon deep diving into who this Native American character is, we discovered that he is a lawmaker and a creator God who uses words to alter his reality and govern his people. This character deeply resonated with us because that is who we as Yamoria aspire to be. Creator Gods. We believe that poets are the documenters of the times. We put pen to paper and sculpt the narrative of the world we occupy and who we are in it.
Your work focuses on redesigning the sculpture of black women in society. Could you share some of the inspirations and motivations in choosing to focus on this?
[YAMORIA]: Our main inspiration in the stories we tell is these bodies we occupy. We uncover what it means to own these bodies that are black and that are female in our society. How do we view ourselves? How do we understand and digest our experiences? We also tackle how we believe the world views us, how they engage with this skin, and our voices. Who better than us to tell our stories? If we are quiet and meek, they will tell our stories for us and they always leave out the good bits.
As Yamoria, you have had the opportunity to collaborate with various brands. Can you elaborate on your experiences working with Converse, Standard Bank, and other organizations on creative projects?
[YAMORIA]: We have been fortunate enough to have positive experiences working with corporate brands. It has been such a joy to see how mainly corporate minds and entirely creative minds can come together and create magic. Marrying creative work in a space that is very formal and corporate has pushed us as a brand to challenge ourselves and our writing. A lot of research goes into these kinds of projects. It has also been gorgeous to watch how the brands open themselves up to the creative world. We think these kinds of collaborations have a lot of potential and that brands can use poetry as a tool to tell authentic stories and connect with their audience on a deeper level.
How important do you think it is for creatives such as yourselves to collaborate with brands? In your experiences, share some of the things that collaborations like these help with your own brand.
[YAMORIA]: Storytelling has been a part of our nature as humans for aeons, stories are passed down from generation to generation and often tell us who we are and where we come from. Brands have come to know this. Audiences connect not only with the product but with the story the brand tells. We believe that poetry is the most authentic way to tell a story and that brands can expand their reach and connect more deeply with the people who engage with their products. That being said, the corporate space has provided a healthy income avenue for us as artists. The art industry can be quite challenging when it comes to creating revenue that can sustain the artist. These kinds of collaborations create a mutually beneficial relationship for both the brand and the artist and they create new streams for us to collaborate and connect.
In 2019, you published “Colour Me Melanin.” Paint a picture of what your creative process was like creating this coloring and poetry collection and its significance?
[YAMORIA]: The significance of Colour Me Melanin is representation. It is not often that the young African girl sees herself reflected in the pages of a book in the advertisement industry or even in the cartoons she engages with. Colour Me Melanin is the celebration of being African and a woman in a world that forgets to include us. The book recognises and celebrates 27 African tribes and the women who contribute to them.
The creative process of writing the book was challenging. The stories and traditions of many tribes across Africa are not well documented. It is difficult to uncover information such as their staple foods, their languages and the God/ Gods that they serve. We spent a lot of time researching and consulting with people we could connect with who belong to that particular culture or tribe. It wasn’t an easy road but it certainly was worth it.
You also ventured into presenting and acting in addition to poetry. How has this expansion into different artistic realms impacted your creative journey?
[YAMORIA]: We believe that creativity is something that easily spills over and morphs as the artist grows. Our history in performance created a pathway into acting, we were familiar with and comfortable in front of the camera and with embodying the work and becoming a new character while on stage. And when it came to presenting, we have always been comfortable speaking in large groups of people and memorizing words and so that came quite naturally to us. Art shouldn’t be put into a box or limited, artists should explore different career fields and ways of expression. Venturing into these art forms has diversified our portfolio and increased our skillset overall.
As established performing artists, what are some memorable moments or performances that have been highlights in your career?
[YAMORIA]: Top of mind is definitely our first time collaborating with Converse on a TVC. To see our work played on TV screens around the world, to see ourselves on billboards across the country and to hear our voices on radio? This was beyond what we had ever dreamed. It was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating to have been tasked with creating magic with a brand we admired. Another moment that will always bring a surge of emotions to us is the first two-man show we hosted at Crammers Coffee back in 2018. This was the first time we looked at each other and said, actually, we can and we will do this. Our parents, family and friends came out in numbers to watch us do what we were made for. And man was it beautiful.
Can you share some insights into your training as performing artists and the impact it has had on your artistic expression? Also, what advice would you give someone looking to pursue the same journey as you?
[YAMORIA]: Our training began with the Current State of Poetry. Here we were given tools in writing, performance art, marketability and branding overall. It was a one-year program at the Joburg Theatre that truly launched us as artists and provided us with some of the skills that we required to survive in the industry. We then trained with Mzansi Poetry Academy, where we diversified and added to our now-existing skill set. We focused primarily on different writing forms and poetry tools that would improve our writing skills. Of course, there is also learning on the job, while training as writers and performers we engaged in the art of slam poetry, which is a competitive style of poetry. We slammed both with The Current State of Poetry and with Word and Sound. For anyone who is looking to pursue this career field, we believe the first step would be to get some form of training, you can research the above-mentioned organizations. The second step is to practice, find spaces that host open mic sessions and begin to challenge yourself and put yourself out there. You will never get a better experience than you against the audience. Lastly, it’s worth it, so it’s not meant to be easy, there will be a number of challenges and obstacles along the way but the pot of gold on the other side will make it all worth it and find meaningful ways to connect with and collaborate with other artists.
What’s next for Yamoria? Are there any upcoming projects or goals you’d like to share with our audience?
[YAMORIA]: Next is putting together our own production and hosting another two-man show. We also plan to have another season of our podcast The Queens Fortress and find new and innovative ways to connect with and interview artists around the country. The main goal will never change, we plan to be the biggest poetry company across the globe and “Baby, poetry is going to feed us” 🙂
Check out Yamoria’s playlist of poetry they have created and make sure you support and follow them on socials!
Featured Image Source(s): Supplied
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