Plattln in Umtata

Shoeslapping in Africa

Shoeslapping in Africa follows the Biermoesl Blosn, a Bavarian folklore band, to Africa. Meeting musicians and artists of South Africa’s and Namibia’s old and new folklore and armed with a harp, a viola, alpenhorns and a barrel organ, the three musicians celebrate a cultural dialogue through music and dance. While Bavarians Harfengstanzel’n (harp dance music), Schuhplattler (shoe slappers) and South Africans Gumboot Dance, Munich and Soweto collide with each other, the satirical artists from conservative Bavaria get to know the world of Africa’s people in a melting pot of cultures in a far away land. The "Plattler" of the black miners tells the Biermoesl Blosn about the history of South Africa and Namibia: stories of racial segregation, apartheid and colonial veal sausages under the equator – or how the Schuhplattler came to Africa...

Source: German Films Service & Marketing GmbH