DRAGONS & GHOSTS

EPISODE 1It is a hot summer’s night in Hillbrow. The twins, Lebo and Veli, and their friend, Thandi, are trying to finish their homework...

Aagh! This maths is making me sick!

You boys are lucky that you are still in standard six!

Let’s go and play TV games at George’s

Cafe.

But Veli, maths is very important...

Heita daar, my bra!

There are some strange people in Hillbrow.

Hare Krishna!

Oh no! I’ve been eaten by a ghost!

I’ve got more points than you! You are

looking at the new Pacman champion.

Veli, see if you can beat Thandi’s score.

Pacman is for girls. I only play fighting games. KUNG FU!

AAH! Die you dragon!

Lebo, can you hear that beautiful music?

That’s a saxophone!

There’s a jazzman outside Fontana’s!

a e q x a e q x a e q x This music makes me feel young again.

That was a famous old song called “Skokiaan”.

I’m surprised to find one so young who knows about jazz.

I love the jazz of old Sophiatown...

Sophiatown!? You are looking at the walking

history of Sophiatown and jazz... George is the name!

Au! Did you ever play with Hugh

Masekela?

The very one!

You must come and see my photographs. I live in Blueberry Mansions, near

the station.

Next day after school.

We’re looking for George the jazzman.

Mad George? He’s always making a noise

on the roof.

Ah, my friends are here. Welcome to the House

of Jazz.

Look, that’s me at the Odin Cinema with Kippie Moeketsi.

There is Hugh Masekela.

Hello, I’m Nomsa. George is my Grandfather.

And here are the Jazz Maniacs, the hottest jazz

band in town!

I tell you, jazz was the thing in those

days!

Do you go to school?

Yes...?

You are very lucky. I have not been to school since Grandfather

became sick...

What’s wrong with your grandfather? He looks very

healthy.

Yes today he’s fine, but sometimes he forgets...

When that happens he thinks it is 1955 and that he is still a

famous jazz musician.

Do you want to go back to school?

Yes, I also want to learn how to sing.

...And then the gangs would arrive! Ag, the musscians of today have it

easy, I tell you!

Come, Veli. It’s time to go.

Would you like to go to the bioscope with me on

Saturday night?

Yes, I would like that. But I must ask my grandfather.

Two days later. What’s the matter with

Veli?

He’s in love with the jazzman’s

granddaughter, Nomsa.

He’s been acting very strange since

we visited the jazzman.

Ag, rubbish! Ja, they’re going on a date tonight.

Suddenly.

Veli! Lebo!

Nomsa! What’s happened!

My grandfather has disappeared!

Have you gone to the police?

Yes. They can do nothing.

Please, you must help me find him!

EPISODE 2The story so far...

A few minutes later.

Guess who? Hi, Alice!Alice, meet our new friend, Nomsa.

Nomsa’s grandfather has gone missing.

Really? How terrible!

Tell us what happenend from the

beginning.

When I woke up yesterday, Grandfather was gone. At

first I did not worry. He often goes to visit his friends in

Soweto. But last night he did not come home.

This morning I went to the police. On my way home I met an old friend of my father.

There’s not much we can do. Nomsa! Come over here. What is the matter, darling?

Grandfather is missing.

But I saw him only yesterday!

He was in such a hurry. He said he was going to play in Sophiatown. I said to myself:”That old man’s upside

down in his head.”

Sophiatown?! What does that mean, Nomsa?

I think my grandfather’s mind has gone back into the past!

Excuse us for a few minutes.

Shame.

But I don’t understand. What was this Sophiatown?

Mkhulu, you used to live in Sophiatown. Tell us about it.

Sophiatown was a very special place to the people who lived

there.

We used to call it Kofifi. That’s where the action was. And what a mix of people -

blacks, coloureds, whites...

Ai! Die ouens het daar lekker

gephola!

I bet Mkhulu was a real groover when he was young!

But in 1955 it all came to an end. The Government didn’t

want our people living so close to their white city.

Over the next few years they broke down all the houses and

built a white suburb called Triomf.

But what about all the people who lived there?

Most of them were moved to Soweto.

They had no right!

How could they do that?

Verwoerd, the Prime Minister, was a man with a dream. When men with dreams get

too much power, you can be sure that ordinary people will suffer...

Nomsa and I are going to search for George in the place where Sophiatown used to be. It’s too late to

go to Triomf now. Wait until

tomorrow.

Why don’t you spend the night at Nomsa’s place? Maybe George will come

home tonight.

An hour later. Here we are. Blueberry Towers.

Ag, voetsek! Go make your blerrie noise outside!

Hey!

Mrs Scott, has my grandfather come back?

No, my dear...

But someone else was looking for oyu. A big man with a horrible dragon on his arm!

I wonder what this Dragon Man wants.

That evening.

I love hearing the trains at night.

Do you know the ghost story about the Spanish Train?

That train was full of the souls of the dead.

Shhh! I can hear footsteps.

Oooh! It’s the Dragon Man!Should I force open

the door?No leave it. We’ll come

back again.The girl, Nomsa, must come home some time.

Early next morning.

What is the name of the suburb they built in the ruins of Sophiatown?

It’s called Triomf.

Did I hear you say Sophiatown?

I used to know Kofifi like the back of my hand.

Remember the patha patha?

Ya! My father used to say, “If you dance the patha patha you dance

with the devil”!

In those days the jazz bands used to play “Two Stage” all night.

Ya, the Undermoon Hall, the Odin

Cinema - those were the places to be!

My grandfather used to play in those halls.

Yes, I saw a photo of the Odin Cinema at your place.

Do you remember where those halls used to be?

My dear, that was so long ago.

You’ll find Kofifi just across the road.

The music was good, but the gangsters! YO! And the girls, they

only had eyes for the “situations”.

Ten minutes later. Triomf? But that’s miles away!

Half an hour later, our friends arrive in Triomf.

EPISODE 3The story so far...

Excuse me, mama. Do you remember

Sophiatown?

No, my girl. I come from Nelspruit.

No, man! This is Triomf. What are you

talking about?

I’m from Zimbabwe.

Wasn’t there a play called”Sophiatown”?

Two hours later.

If only we knew where the halls used to be.

Yo! My feet are sore!

Nothing will get me to move.

Leave that dog alone, Veli.

Grrr Grrr!

The next day.

I want to go home. But what about the Dragon Man?

Guess what happened to us today?

Some actors from the new Africana Museum came to our school.

And they put on a play about Sophiatown.

If someone tells me another story about

Sophiatown I will be sick!

Thula! We spoke to the actors. They said that the museum keeps old jazz posters.

Those posters might have the addresses of the jazz halls on them.

How do you know that George was looking for one of those halls?

We’ve got to do something. Let’s go to the

museum.

At the museum.Can we see your jazz poster

collection?You’ll find the

chronological history section behind the lifts.

Au!It’s beautiful!

Look at the wagon!

Heita mntwana!

Come, silly!

In the chronological history section.

Here are the posters.You know, it’s funny, we’ve met so many

people with stories about Sophiatown. But no one can tell us where the halls used to be.

People’s stories about the past make history come

alive. But the memory is not always reliable.

That is why we use old newspapers and posters to check the details.

Look! It says the Undermoon Hall was in

Good Street.

Listen to this one: “Two Stage Clash! Bang! Two Bands! Come to the one

and only Jig Club”!

Touching those old posters is like holding history in

your hands.

Ya, Sophiatown has many ghosts.

We’ve got some addresses. Let’s go back to Triomf.

EPISODE 4The story so far...

Back in Triomf.

Yes, I did see a man with a sax the other day.

The man had been drinking. He kept on saying, “This is Good Street, but it’s not

Sophiatown.”

Do you know what happened to that man?

The last time I saw him he went into that shop on the corner.

Nomsa! Wait!

Grrr!

There’s no one inside.

I don’t like it in here! Nomsa, be careful! YIIIII!!

Can I help you? We’re looking for Nomsa’s grandfather. He’s a jazz player.

Oh, you must be wanting George Phahlane.

Do you know where we can find him?

The Dragon took him away!

Mr Han gives the friends directions to the Dragon’s house.

That’s the place. Listen! Somebody is playing a saxophone.

It’s Grandfather!

I think we should call the police.

Shhh!

The music is coming from down here.

Grandfather!

Nomsa! You’ve come at last.

I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Nomsa.

AAAH! The Dragon!

Meet Mr Prakash.

Please make yourselves at home.

A while later.

Your grandfather was very sick when Mr Han phoned me, so I brought him home.

But why did Mr Han phone you?

He knew that I had been searching for George for a

long time.

When my memory returned on Saturday morning, I asked Mr Prakash to go and

fetch her.We thought you had

come to rob us!

Mr Dragon, what do you want with my grandfather?

I’m making a record of jazz music of the 50’s.

Your grandfather is going to be a big star

again!

George Phahlane’s record is a great hit. he is invited to play at a club in Cape Town. Nomsa decides to go to school in Cape Town so that she can be with her grandfather.

Hi, Veli. I’ve come to say goodbye to everybody.

Let’s go for a walk first.

I’m going to miss you.

You’ll soon forget about me when you’re a

famous singer.

Nxa. I’ve given up on that dream. So, what are you going

to do?

I’m going back to school. I want to study

history.

History!? Ughhh! History is about dead people in funny clothes.

Rubbish!

History helps us to understand who we are. That’s what Sophiatown

taught me.

I haven’t lost my memeory. I know who I am!

Don’t be angry! Come, let’s go and play TV games.

Will you visit me in Cape Town?

If you promise not to give me any more history lessons.