The eMzantsi recycled costume, puppet and float-building crew are referred to as Mapiko. For a long time, we were seeking an African equivalent for the Trinidadian term ‘Mas-making’ – Mas refers to Masquerade, but we wanted a word that would resonate in the South African context. Following a visit to the Iziko exhibition ‘Ghoema and Glitter’ about the heritage of Cape carnival, we discovered the Makonde word ‘mapiko’ (from Mozambique) which simultaneously means ‘mask-making’, ‘shape-shifting’ and ‘wonder’ – far more suggestive of the wide range of skills our crew embody and the magic they create than mere ‘costume-makers’.
‘Amapiko’ also means ‘wings’ in isiXhosa – and eMzantsi certainly gives Mapiko wings!
Thanks to the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund since 2009, and the UNESCO International Fund for Cultural Diversity in 2012, the eMzantsi community-building project has been able to expand training and capacity-building opportunities for our local Mapiko artists and Sinakho crafters.
If you would like more information about Mapiko, email info@emzantsi.org.za.