KASMEDIA TOURS

“The evolution of thought brings about the revolution of mental attitude, thinking is you legal right, so think and sink deeper than ink for there is not even a moment to blink”

This is a South African creative worker whose artistic journey is directly linked with the Windybrow [and the poetry session in particular]. Coming to Johannesburg from Kwazulu with the dream of being a famous artist like most people. Majesty Mnyandu ended up homeless and later lived in a shelter for street children in the CBD.

When he was taken back to school he also did drama classes at the Market Theatre Laboratory. One day the school he attended came to the Windybrow Theatre to watch a play. This was when the fascination with the center begun.
Later that year a fellow resident in the shelter introduced him to the poetry session at the Windybrow in the year 2000 and he attended without hesitation. On the very first session he rendered his impromptu poem that he confesses that it is something he wishes to forget.
A few years passed after completing his matric and he spent a few years in Kwazulu and he returned to be part of the session in the year 2004.
He attended about two sessions and on the third session there was no MC and he volunteered. His perfomative MCeing caught the attention of Masoja Msiza who made him the permanent MC of the session.
He even grew to being the member of the committee when it was formed alongside stalwarts like Macs Papo, Portia Mahange, Ras Zwesh etc. he was also a regular on YFM which hosted a poetry session on air.

This was also the time when he joined forces with Rude Boy Paul to produce his first musical hit Uparafin Nomanyazin which was recorded live in the air.
It was also during a monthly Poetry Blast when he was identified by Bekezela Mhlongo who coincidentally happened to be his home boy. Mhlongo requested Majesty to be a presenter in an SABC commissioned documentary titled Umgababa From the Ashes. This was the political history of the area where they both hail from.

It was also at the Windybrow theatre where Majesty found an audition notice to join Themba Interactive an HIV organization that uses drama to educate communities. This opportunity resulted in him being identified by Wits University to do an honors degree in drama and film.
Majesty has found his feet in storytelling and he runs an organization known as KASMEDIA which focuses on helping the youth learn skills of the film industry.

Majesty offers the following tours:

1. Paradise for Street Children – A return to the children’s shelter ( the old pass office), where he spent his first period after arriving in Johannesburg as a 13 year old.
2. Memory of the Windybrow Poetry Sessions – For those who know the recent history of the arts in the city of Joburg and Gauteng the Windybrow Poetry session is the only name that comes to mind. Firstly the structure is a historical building in Hillbrow Johannesburg it was built by queen Victoria of England for the first British mining engineer that worked for royal mines in South Africa during the colonial era. Later it was turned into a theatre as it is a huge structure.
   Little did the building know that it would later have such a deep impact on the lives of many that came to Johannesburg to realise their dreams in the entertainment industry.
   Majesty Mnyandu is one such artist as well who benefited from the programs that were run by this theatre. The notable project being the Windybrow Poetry Session, which was the most popular poetry session in the country during its run. The participants were so inspired by the magic that they had created that they were later able to create 18 poetry sessions around the country.
   It will be a heart-warming and an entertaining experience to listen to Majesty Mnyandu a former Master of Ceremonies of this poetry session, as he will be reminiscing the good old days of poetry performance in the city of Joburg. This will be coupled with perfomative stints as he will also be reciting a verse or two of the poets that he will be talking about.
   Also to be included on the tour is the view of an exhibition that Majesty Mnyandu has curated which pays tribute to the great poets that once grazed the Windybrow stage.
3. Come to The Roof – The only one of its kind, a half-way house for homeless artists. It is called the roof because it is located at the last floor Park Court number 45 Becker Str Yeoville. Established in the year 2000 by the late Bekezela Vusi Mhlongo, who was once a homeless artist himself. He committed to procure a flat and convert it to a halfway house for other homeless artists. This is the only place where you can come in with you bags packed, with no rental money and by the evening you would have made friends and invited to perform in a production that can mean the beginning of your career.The spirit of love and brotherhood guides the house even though the founder is no longer there it still operates under the same principles of never turning away a homeless artists who is in the city to try their luck.