HABANERA

Carmen in Kayelitsha: Bizet’s original music for Carmen was adapted for a South African film, set in Khayelitsha. The lyrics are sung in isiXhosa and Carmen is a member of the cigarette factory choir where she works. Don José character is called Jongikhaya, a religious cop lured into a smuggling operation by the seductive Carmen. The toreador, Escamillo, becomes Nomak-haya, an anti-apartheid activist’s son. The film received international acclaim.