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Cantata returns to Kigali

Monday December 31 2018
Cantata pic

The Cantata brings entertains Christians. PHOTO | ANDREW I. KAZIBWE

By ANDREW I KAZIBWE

Returning to Kigali this year, was the Christmas Cantata. Dubbed Cantata 250, the live annual Broadway Christmas show, which is awaited by many kicked off on December 21 to 24, at the Christian Life Assembly Church in Nyarutarama, Kigali.

Returning every year, since 2016, the Christmas Cantata is one of Rwanda’s largest live Christian presentation, bringing together a diverse audience under one roof for entertainment and fun.

Unlike the 2017 edition, this was an incorporation of the bible scriptures and the modern day living in society, the recent took the audience to specifically what happened, and how Jesus was ushered into the world.

Written and directed by Daniel Mugisha and Maya Nzeyimana, the Broadway Musical is a cocktail of narration, drama, music and both contemporary and the Rwandan traditional dance, which coincide various scenes.

With the shows being entirely free, not only to church goers, but the entire public, according to organisers, the Cantata is a Christmas gift by Christian Life Assembly Church, which aims at inspiring masses.

Incidents

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Themed Love Came Down, this year’s presentation, which attracted over 1,500 people, took another unique lane. Unlike the usual tale of Jesus’ birth, Love Came Down details a few incidents around the birth of the saviour, and how they impact specific people.

The scenes are backed up by live narration, which also incorporate dialogues by various characters. For instance, the director takes the audience to the minds of the angels, how the seemingly think of Jesus’ coming, and a surprise it is to take many on earth.

Mary and Joseph’s anticipation, and nervousness about conceiving Christ, then is the approach towards embracing the pregnancy.

The presentation, which brings together a total of 150 characters, who all hail from CLA community, further takes the audience to the detailed conversation of the three wise men, and how they are astonished by the new discovery of a rare bright star.

These further after consulting the scriptures set off to Bethlehem to find the new born king.

Another scene is of the Shepherds, who amidst their daily errands are intercepted by the angels, who inform them of the good news.

The production is one which further details a normal lifestyle amongst the Wise men, who are elites, the shepherds from a peasant livelihood, while it incorporates humour to it, which indeed lightens up the audience.

Amid scenes, are intervals of songs by first the choir, which is aligned just behind, but above the stage.

This backed by instrumentalists, well blends and compliments the dialogue within the stage scenes. Scenes are well produced with the aid of lighting, visual and audio sound effects, while the characters too well emulate the old bible times due to the stage and costume design.

According to organisers, the production entirely put together by the Christian Life Assembly Church aims at giving back to Rwandans during the festive season.