Credit: .reid. from Flickr.

Soap Operas in Africa

Telanovela, mangoes, HIV, socially conscious, tribes, patriarchs

I first encountered the power of the soap opera in Africa ten years ago, at the height of the Rosalinda craze — Rosalinda, of course, being the eponymous Mexican telenovela whose glamorous heroine, played by Thalia, spent much of her time in tears, running up and down ostentatious staircases. Still, she emerged with her dignity and eye makeup intact — an inspiration to us all.

Rosalinda was broadcast on weekdays at siesta time in Madagascar, where I was teaching in Mahajanga province. Those  lucky enough to own televisions  found their living rooms transformed into mini movie theaters. Friends dropped in. Perfect strangers lingered in windows to watch. Rosalinda was literally everywhere. People analyzed the plot at our local market. Young girls sang the theme song at school talent shows, flowers tucked behind ears, just like Thalia. We discussed life in the West — politics, jobs, weather and prices of goods and services — using Rosalinda as food for thought. I still remember the hush that fell over the room of middle school students when I revealed the exorbitant cost of a mango in an American market.

How might one describe a typical soap or telenovela like Rosalinda: Shallow? Materialistic? Melodramatic? What about ‘socially conscious’? In the last ten years, a new crop of soap operas, produced by Africans for Africans, have become quite popular. They aim to entertain while promoting socially-conscious values. Programs like Makutano Junction, The Team and Mali feature African characters who confront oft-taboo issues like alcoholism, HIV, child health, ethnic rivalries and patriarchal attitudes in the community.  This is not The Young and the Restless or Days of Our Lives. Check out descriptions of the shows and links to related content below:

• Makutano Junction:   Covered in a New York Times blog post, this Kenyan soap opera discusses social issues and dynamics, like the episode in which Mama Mboga fears her infant Joni may have contracted malaria and her husband, Erasmus, unwisely dismisses her concerns.
• The Team: A Kenyan soccer club composed of players from different tribes must resolve their differences peaceably.  A short PBS documentary features an interview with one of the actresses.
• Mali: Meaning ‘wealth’ in Swahili, the show focuses on the passing of the family patriarch and the ensuing chaos. See an interview with filmmaker Alison Ngibuini here.