Actor, producer, singer and comedian Moeniel Jacobs has added author to his list of talents.
Born and bred in Cape Town, Jacobs is finally releasing his biography, which he started writing nine years ago.
Jacobs was part of a 15-member Malay Choir group from the Cape Flats who got to perform at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York on October 25, 2014, an experience that would change their lives forever.
This particular experience prompted Jacobs to start writing “Rosa in New York”, which is based on his life in the Malay Choir.
The Malay Choir is a choral community that was established in the 1940s where people came together and started singing Dutch folk songs and these songs turned into Afrikaans ghoema songs and later formalised into a competition format where certain groups started singing against each other to vie for the title of the best choral or Malay Choir.
It was born out of the Cape Malay quarters in the Bo-Kaap and moved to District Six and then after the Group Areas act, the choirs were spread over various parts of the Cape Flats.
Jacobs told Independent Media Lifestyle: “No one would have believed that 15 Cape Malay artists from the Cape Flats would reach the most iconic music venue in the world to showcase their culture and heritage through their music.”
With years of experience under his belt, an opportunity was presented to him to showcase the culture to an international audience. But it was no easy task for Jacobs and his crew.
He said: “’Rosa in New York’ is a motivational story about how perseverance can lead to success. With so many things stacked up against us, we kept the hope alive that we would reach tour goal even with outside forces against us.
“But no matter the odds we made sure that we went from Cape Flats to Carnegie Hall.”
Jacobs, who played a villain named Jack in SABC 2’s “Melody”, said: “ I wanted the world to experience with me how it felt as a struggling artists to get an opportunity of lifetime and how it felt.
“But the story is not just roses and fairy-tales but it depicts all the challenges we had to endure from not having funding and doors closed in our faces to having our culture stand against us.
“This story will show the beauty of our culture and how 15 Cape Malay artists took this amazing culture to the biggest stage in the world.”
Jacobs, who does part time stand-up comedy, dedicates his biography to his wife, who is battling cancer.
“This book is also a testament to my wife who is struggling with breast and bone cancer yet she keeps on fighting and she never gives up. I wanted to leave a legacy behind that not only my kids could be proud of but other kids as well that will find motivation in my words.
“The book is about how we got to perform and showcase the Cape Malay culture during the Ubuntu festival in New York Carnegie Hall.
“And to be able to sing the songs we grew up with to an audience in America was not only intimidating but a great honour as well.
“As most people know the Cape Malay Choir is famed for its ghoema and comic songs but most notably is the Cape Malay national anthem ‘Rosa’, which is sung at all competitions to even family event and mostly weddings.
“And for me to be able to sing this iconic song in New York was basically the title writing itself.”
Jacobs officially launches his book at Ghoema Theatre in Rose Street, Bo Kaap, on Wednesday, July 26, at 7pm. The book will be available on Amazon.